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Russian military to open Black Sea-bound corridor for vessels leaving Mariupol port

It will be organized from 08:00 Moscow time on May 25

MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. Starting from 08:00 Moscow time on May 12, the Russian armed forces will open a humanitarian corridor to the Black Sea, allowing foreign vessels to safely exit the port of Mariupol, the chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, said on Tuesday.

"In order to ensure safe exit of foreign vessels from the port of Mariupol, a 115-mile-long and two-mile-wide corridor towards the Black Sea will be organized from 08:00 Moscow time on May 25," said Mizintsev, who also heads the Russian Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine.

"As a result of a complex of measures taken by the Russian Navy, the danger of mines has been eliminated in the port of Mariupol, measures to rebuilt port infrastructure are under way," the Russian official added.

Combat engineers of the Black Sea Fleet and engineer troops have completed their work to clear the territory of the Mariupol seaport of mines, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier on Tuesday. Over 12,000 explosive devices and items of armament abandoned by Ukrainian militants have been uncovered and rendered harmless.

The Russian personnel have also cleared approach canals and internal water areas of sunken vessels and other navigational obstacles and demilitarized the port. Overall, they have inspected over 1.5 million square meters of the water area, 18 berths and 32 vessels, the ministry reported. The Russian combat engineer squads have also removed mines from the coastline of the Sea of Azov adjacent to the Mariupol seaport.