Russia says almost 180,000 people fled Ukraine to Russia - Interfax

- Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that nearly 180,000 people had been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the conflict on Feb. 24, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

The ministry added that the operation to open up humanitarian corridors to remove Ukrainian civilians and foreigners from combat zones "did not bring the desired results, through Kyiv's fault" and the situation faced by civilians in the city of Mariupol had reached a "catastrophic scale".

Both sides have accused each other of violating ceasefires that would allow the evacuation of civilians from combat zones.