MOSCOW, April 19 — Russia’s defence ministry said today it had opened up a corridor for Ukrainian forces who wanted to take up a Russian offer to lay down their arms and safely leave the Azovstal steel works in the besieged port of Mariupol.
Russia earlier called on Ukrainian forces and foreign fighters holed up in the plant to lay down their arms by noon Moscow time (0900 GMT) if they wanted to live. — Reuters
