A ceasefire has taken hold in two Ukrainian cities. Russia announced a pause in its military operation to allow civilians wanting to leave the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha to do so through a humanitarian corridor.

It’s understood that the partial ceasefire was struck during the recent talks with Ukraine.

According to Kieve more than 220 000 are seeking to leave these areas.

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a full armed conflict for the past ten days after Moscow entered its neighbour’s territory. However the tensions go back eight years when a Western backed government took control of the eastern European country. Kieve has also been seeking to join the Western military alliance NATO. A move Moscow is opposes as it sees it as a threat to its borders. In recent years the West has increasingly been trying to isolate Russia and reduce its influence.