KYIV: Ukraine said Wednesday it was halting all humanitarian corridors allowing for the evacuation of civilians from war-scarred regions of the country, accusing Russian forces of violating agreements to allow people to flee.
“Unfortunately, we are not opening them today. The situation along the routes is too dangerous and we are forced to refrain from opening humanitarian corridors today,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media.
She said that around Zaporizhzhia in the south, Russian forces were blocking buses used in the evacuations and that in the east Lugansk region Moscow’s army was violating an agreement to halt shooting while people escape.
“The occupiers not only disregard the norms of international humanitarian law, but also cannot properly control their people on the ground,” Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
Ukrainian authorities have been urging people in the southeastern Donbas region of the country to quickly move west in advance of a feared, large-scale Russian offensive to capture the region.
In the eastern Ukraine city of Kramatorsk, Russian forces allegedly struck a train station used for evacuations recently, leaving more than 50 people dead.
Vereshchuk said Wednesday that work was underway to resume work along humanitarian routes “as soon as possible.”
‘Too dangerous’ for humanitarian corridors Wednesday: Ukraine
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‘Too dangerous’ for humanitarian corridors Wednesday: Ukraine
- In the eastern Ukraine city of Kramatorsk, Russian forces allegedly struck a train station used for evacuations recently
Dozens missing after boat carrying more than 200 migrants capsized off the coast of Gambia
- At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region
BANJUL: Dozens are missing after a boat carrying more than 200 migrants on their way to Europe capsized off the coast of Gambia, the West African nation’s leader said late Friday, setting off a frantic search and rescue operation.
At least 102 survivors have been rescued and seven bodies recovered from the boat that capsized on New Year’s Eve in northwest Gambia’s North Bank region, Gambian President Adama Barrow said in a state broadcast.
The emergency services were joined by local fishermen and other volunteers in searching for the victims, days after Wednesday’s incident near the village of Jinack, he said.
Thousands of Africans desperate for better opportunities in Europe risk their lives traveling on boats along the Atlantic coast, one of the world’s deadliest migrant routes that connects the West African coast across Gambia, Senegal and Mauritania.
Many migrants seeking to reach Spain via the Canary Islands never make it due to high risks of boats capsizing. In August 2025, around 150 people were either dead or missing after their boat that came from Gambia capsized off the coast of Mauritania. A similar incident in July 2024 killed more than a dozen migrants with 150 others declared missing.
It was not clear what led to the latest tragedy. Gambia’s Ministry of Defense said the boat was found “grounded on a sandbank.”
“The national emergency response plan has been activated and the government has deployed adequate resources to intensify efforts and provide assistance to the survivors,” Barrow said.
Some of the 102 survivors were undergoing urgent medical care, the Gambian leader said.
As he condoled with families, Barrow vowed a full investigation and called the accident a “painful reminder of the dangerous and life-threatening nature of irregular migration.”
“The government will strengthen efforts to prevent irregular migration and remains determined to create safer and more dignified opportunities for young people to fulfil their dreams,” he added.
