Rescuers evacuate a person from a residential building damaged by a military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, is seen in Lysychansk, Luhansk region, Ukraine in this handout picture released March 30, 2022. Press service of the State Emerge
Rescuers evacuate a person from a residential building damaged by a military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, is seen in Lysychansk, Luhansk region, Ukraine in this handout picture released March 30, 2022. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS . Reuters / STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAI

Authorities in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk urged civilians on Wednesday to evacuate "while it is safe," warning that Russian bombardments could cut off escape routes.

Ukraine has said Russian troops that invaded on Feb. 24 are regrouping and preparing for a new offensive in the Donbas area, which includes Luhansk.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in online comments that Ukraine aimed to open 11 humanitarian corridors on Wednesday to evacuate civilians.

"We will take everyone out if the Russians allow us to get to the meeting places (for evacuation). Because, as you can see, they don't always observe ceasefires," the Luhansk region governor, Serhiy Gaidai, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

"I appeal to every resident of the Luhansk region - evacuate while it is safe ... While there are buses and trains - take this opportunity. "

Gaidai said rail connections in the Donetsk region of Donbas had been damaged this week and took several hours to repair.

"This is another alarm bell," he said.

Gaidai said separately in a video address that Russian forces had not managed to break through Ukrainian defences in his region but were destroying "everything in their path" and would "stop at nothing."

Russia has said it does not target civilians in its "special military operation" aimed at demilitarizing and "denazifying" Ukraine. The Kremlin's position is rejected by Ukraine and the West as a pretext for an unprovoked invasion.

Vereshchuk said anyone trying to leave the besieged southern city of Mariupol would have to use their own vehicles.

Efforts to get convoys of buses into Mariupol to deliver supplies and evacuate tens of thousands of trapped residents have repeatedly failed since Russian forces encircled Mariupol, with each side blaming the other.

Mariupol's capture could enable Russia to create a land bridge between two separatist, self-proclaimed people's republics in Donbas and the Crimea region which Russia seized and annexed in 2014.

(Editing by Timothy Heritage)