Russia's defense ministry on Monday said that the mass evacuation of people from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol had started, Russian news agencies reported.

The defense ministry added that out of 10 routes that had been proposed for "humanitarian corridors" for evacuation on Monday, the authorities in Kyiv had agreed to only three, none of which lead to Russia, the agencies reported.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on the same day said shelling by Russian forces was still preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Mariupol.