Kyiv is sending 45 buses on Thursday to evacuate civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol, where the Russian defense ministry has announced a local ceasefire, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

"Tonight, we were informed by the International Committee of the Red Cross that Russia is ready to open access to a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhya via the Russian-controlled port of Berdyansk, she said in a video posted on Telegram.

"We are sending 45 buses on this corridor."