In large Ukrainian cities, nationalists are threatening and forcing men aged 18 to 60 to enroll in territorial defence battalions, said Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s National Defense Control Center.

“In large cities such as Kharkiv, Odessa and Nikolaev, members of nationalist formations, under the threat of physical reprisals against men family members aged 18 to 60 years, forcibly push them to enroll in territorial defence battalions,” Mizintsev said, RT reported.

He added that the inhabitants of Ukraine are intimidated, so they are forced to agree.

The Russian side is strictly complying with the ceasefire obligations for the withdrawal of civilians along the humanitarian corridors during the special operation in Ukraine, Mizintsev claimed.

“Despite the endless streams of lies and disinformation, the Russian Federation continues to fully fulfil its humanitarian obligations,” he said.

Mizintsev added that Russia is opening humanitarian corridors in Kiev, Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv directions.

“The silence regimes introduced by the Russian armed forces are strictly observed,” a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

Earlier, Russia said that the successful operation to unblock Mariupol made it possible to open humanitarian corridors and begin mass evacuation of the population.

“The successful operation to unblock the city made it possible today to open humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians and to begin mass evacuation of the population, which had been held hostage by neo-Nazis for a long time,” a spokesman said, RT reported.

(The story has been published via a syndicated feed.)