Escape route from Sumy

Desperate civilians began fleeing a besieged Ukrainian city through a corridor opened by Russia yesterday.

The exodus from Sumy, where 21 people were killed in Russian air strikes late on Monday, came despite Kyiv branding Moscow's renewed offer of escape routes a publicity stunt since many lead to Russia or ally Belarus.

The United Nations called for evacuees to be allowed to leave in whichever direction they choose after horrific scenes earlier, when civilians were shelled as they tried to escape. And thousands remained trapped in dire conditions.

The war has sparked Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with more than two million people crossing Ukraine's borders.

The West has hit back with sanctions on Russia, but they have failed to stop President Vladimir Putin from continuing attacks.

Russia warned it could cut Europe's gas supplies in revenge for sanctions and said any ban on Russian oil would have "catastrophic consequences."

Two weeks into the conflict Russia was also ramping up its troops and equipment to encircle the capital, Kyiv.

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again denounced what he called broken promises by the West to protect his country, particularly from air attacks.

Meanwhile, evacuations began in Sumy, near the Russian border. The corridor was also meant to evacuate civilians including Chinese, Indians and other foreigners.

Russia's initial offer of humanitarian corridors led nowhere, but it floated the idea again and listed routes from Kyiv as well as Sumy, Mariupol and Kharkiv. But Zelensky accused Russia of reneging on previous escape route agreements and trying to stop people by planting explosives on roads and destroying buses.