A service member of pro-Russian troops runs across a street during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol
(Picture: REUTERS)Ukraine has said a civilian ship is sinking in the port of the besieged city of Mariupol after Russian forces fired on it.
The ship was struck during “shelling from the sea” by Russia, causing a fire in the engine room, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said.
Crew members were rescued, including one injured among them, they added.
It didn’t specify how many people were on board or the nationalities of the crew members.
The ministry said the ship was flying the flag of the Dominican Republic and posted a picture of a cargo vessel.
Russian forces have been bombarding Mariupol for weeks as they try to tighten control over Ukraine’s southeastern coastline.
It comes as humanitarian corridors are set to open on Tuesday, including from the Mariupol and the Russian-controlled Berdyansk, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on the messaging app Telegram.
Residents of Mariupol and Berdyansk will be able to leave to Zaporizhzhia on their own transport, according to Vereshchuk’s post.
Corridors will also be open from the city of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region and cities of Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna and Hirske in the Luhansk region.
Vereshchuk said in the same post the Russian troops “don’t allow anyone to enter Mariupol” and the Russians “blocked the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross” in the settlement of Manhush just west of Mariupol.
Vereshchuk said, after negotiations, the Red Cross representatives “were released at night and sent to Zaporizhzhia”.
It was not immediately clear from Vereshchuk’s statement whether Russia has agreed to halt the fighting along the announced corridors.
Some of the Ukrainian efforts to evacuate civilians via humanitarian corridors had previously failed as fighting along them continued despite agreements with Russia.
