LONDON, 06 March 2022, (TON): Britain urged its nationals to consider leaving Russia after Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine.

The British government said in a statement “if your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes.”

Britain advised its citizens against all travel to Russia due to a lack of available flight options and increased economic volatility.

Russia said “its forces had stopped firing near two Ukrainian cities on Saturday to allow safe passage to civilians fleeing fighting, but was continuing its broad offensive in Ukraine, where the capital Kyiv came under renewed assault.”

The Russian defence ministry said its units had opened humanitarian corridors near the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha which were encircled by its troops.

In Mariupol, citizens would be allowed to leave during a five-hour window, it quoted the city’s officials as saying.

The Ukrainian government said the plan was to evacuate around 200,000 people from Mariupol and 15,000 from Volnovakha, and the Red Cross is the ceasefire’s guarantor.