Russia prepared to stop firing to allow evacuation of Mariupol's Azovstal plant - RIA

- Russia is prepared to stop firing to allow fighters at the Azovstal steel works in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol to leave the plant, along with any civilians that are still there, RIA cited the defence ministry as saying on Friday.

The ministry said claims by Ukraine and some western countries that Russia was preventing civilians from leaving the city were "groundless", the TASS news agency reported.