(VOVworld) – The opposition group in Ukraine said on Saturday that they were ready for a ceasefire with the government army to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe. The announcement of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, the so-called prime minister of the Donetsk Republic, came as the Ukrainian troops have surrounded the city and conditions were deteriorating. He said that Donetsk city of 1 million residents is suffering shortages of food, clean water, and power cut. The Ukrainian government said it is also ready for a ceasefire provided that the opposition group surrender and hand in their weapons. Currently, there has been no comment from government officials regarding the opposition’s call for a ceasefire.