Ukraine has sent scores of buses to the devastated city of Mariupol in order to evacuate thousands of residents after Kyiv and Russia finally agreed on the opening of a humanitarian corridor.

       “We received a message from the International Red Cross Committee that the Russian Federation confirms its readiness to open access for the humanitarian convoy to the city of Mariupol with transit through the city of Berdiansk,” said Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk. “We are sending 45 buses to the Mariupol corridor.”

       She added: “We will do everything possible to ensure that buses arrive in Mariupol today and pick up people who have not yet been able to get out of the city.”

       The corridor opened early on Thursday. Russia asked Ukraine to guarantee the “unconditional respect” for a ceasefire in the city.

       Mariupol has been under constant shelling from Russian forces for several weeks. The city has been described as “hell” by those who have managed to get out. There are reports that those trapped in the city are managing to survive with hardly any access to food, water or power.

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       The International Red Cross said it was “vitally important” the buses were allowed access.

       “The lives of tens of thousands of people in Mariupol depend on it,” said the charity.

       There are reports of hungry people eating stray dogs and claims that Russians has committed a war crime in Mariupol, with regards to the bombing of a theatre where thousands of civilians were sheltering. The UN also claims there is increasing evidence of mass graves within the city. Russia has said it is not targeting civilians.

       More video footage revealing the devastating conditions in Mariupol emerged on Thursday showing the true extent of the damage. The footage shows charred houses with the city’s skyline covered in white smoke.

       On Wednesday, Ukraine claimed that Russian forces had struck a Red Cross warehouse, amid intense shelling.

       Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his troops will continue attacking the city until Ukrainian forces in Mariupol surrender.

       While agreement on a humanitarian corridor is being seen as a positive sign, such efforts in the past have repeatedly collapsed with fighting occurring during the agreed ceasefire time, making the evacuation of citizens difficult.

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       Most citizens who have managed to leave the city so far have done so in private vehicles as the countries couldn’t previously agree on allowing buses inside.

       Home to over 430,000 people before the war, the city has seen attacks on maternity hospital, fire department locations and civilian homes.