In Pictures

Photos: People flee as humanitarian crisis deepens in Ukraine

Russia announced yet another cease-fire and a handful of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers and militiamen carry a woman in a wheelchair as the artillery echoes nearby, while people flee Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv — Ukrainian soldiers and militiamen carry a woman in a wheelchair in Irpin. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

By AP

The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is deepening as food, water and medicine growing increasingly scarce and Russian forces intensify their shelling of major cities.

In the capital, Kyiv, soldiers and volunteers have built hundreds of checkpoints to protect the city of nearly 4 million, using sandbags, stacked tires and spiked cables.

“Every house, every street, every checkpoint, we will fight to the death if necessary,” said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

As Ukrainians attempted to flee Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, a Ukrainian police officer could be seen running while holding on to a child as the sound of artillery echoed nearby. The invasion has sent 1.7 million people fleeing Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to “medieval siege” tactics in places.

“Humanitarian corridors” in Ukraine have opened from Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol as well as Kyiv, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Russian defence ministry. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Tuesday that civilians will start leaving Sumy.

People cross an improvised path under a destroyed bridge while fleeing the town of Irpin close to Kyiv. [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo]

People cook outdoors for Ukrainian servicemen and civil defense members serving in Kyiv — People cook outdoors for Ukrainian servicemen and civil defence members serving in Kyiv. [Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo]

A woman holding a child cries after fleeing from Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. [Visar Kryeziu/AP Photo]

A volunteer of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces inspects a damaged military vehicle in the outskirts Kharkiv — A Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces volunteer inspects a damaged military vehicle in the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. [Andrew Marienko/AP Photo]

Ukrainian women sit inside a van as artillery echoes nearby, as people flee Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv — Ukrainian women sit in a van as artillery echoes nearby and people flee Irpin. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

A Ukrainian soldier covers himself as the artillery echoes nearby, while people flee Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv — A Ukrainian soldier watches over civilians fleeing Irpin as artillery echoes nearby. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

A woman wraps herself in a blanket to keep warm as she waits in a crowd of refugees after fleeing from Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. [Markus Schreiber/AP Photo]

A Ukrainian police officer runs while holding a child as the artillery echoes nearby, while fleeing Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv — A Ukrainian police officer runs while holding a child as the artillery echoes nearby. [Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo]

A Ukrainian volunteer Oleksandr Osetynskyi, 44 holds a Ukrainian flag and directs refugees after fleeing from Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland — Ukrainian volunteer Oleksandr Osetynskyi, 44, holds a Ukrainian flag and directs refugees after fleeing from Ukraine and arriving at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland. [Visar Kryeziu/AP Photo]

Parents accompany children and teenagers as they board a train after leaving Kyiv's Central Children's Hospital, following its evacuation, in Kyiv, — Parents accompany children and teenagers as they board a train after leaving Kyiv's Central Children's Hospital, following its evacuation. [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo]

A firefighter holds the baby of a refugee fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border — A firefighter holds the baby of a refugee fleeing the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania. [Andreea Alexandru/AP Photo]