<span style="color: #222222;">Ukraine and Russia have reached on an agreement to open a safe route for civilians to flee the devastated port city of Mariupol. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said this in a Telegram today. She said a humanitarian corridor would be provided for women, children and elderly persons.<br />''<br />''She asked civilians to gather for evacuations heading to the Ukrainian-held city of Zaporizhzhia. However, Ms Vereshchuk warned that with regard to the very difficult security situation, changes may occur during the corridor.<br />''Evacuations from Ukraine's under-fire front line areas had been suspended for the past three days as no agreement could be reached and Russia stepped up its military operations.<br />''<br />''Coastal Mariupol is a key target of Russia's military operation on Ukraine and widespread shelling has laid waste to swathes of the city</span><br />