Russia says aid columns not able to reach Mariupol, blames Red Cross - Interfax

Interfax quoted Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Center for Defense Management, as saying the ICRC had shown its inability to provide any help in preparing to evacuate civilians from the city. Mizintsev said due to the actions of the Red Cross, the convoys had left very late on April 1 and 2 and were not able to reach Mariupol on time. The ICRC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Russia's defence ministry on Saturday said aid convoys had not been able to reach the besieged city of Mariupol on Friday or Saturday and blamed "destructive actions" by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Interfax news agency said.

A Red Cross convoy traveling to the Ukrainian port turned around on Friday because it had become impossible to proceed with its mission to begin evacuating civilians, the ICRC said, vowing to try again on Saturday. Interfax quoted Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Center for Defense Management, as saying the ICRC had shown its inability to provide any help in preparing to evacuate civilians from the city.

Mizintsev said due to the actions of the Red Cross, the convoys had left very late on April 1 and 2 and were not able to reach Mariupol on time. He said that on Friday, ICRC employees had made unplanned stops en route and some vehicles had broken away from the main convoy and then returned. The ICRC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.