2,000 Trapped in Oleshky as Trump-Brokered Truce Begins
A localized ceasefire took effect Tuesday at 3 a.m. to allow aid into the occupied town, while missile strikes continued to hit Kyiv.
By Hassan Bello ·
A local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia took effect at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning, opening a window for humanitarian aid to reach the occupied town of Oleshky. The pause in fighting was arranged by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump to facilitate the delivery of food, medicine, and water to residents who have been cut off for months.
Melania Trump’s office stated that she led negotiations with civilian representatives from both Russia and Ukraine. These talks followed briefings from United Nations officials regarding the conditions in Oleshky. The mission is scheduled to occur later this week, preceding a new round of U.S.-brokered peace talks expected next month.
The truce is set to continue through Saturday, though it may be extended. Deep mistrust between the two nations has previously derailed similar attempts to halt combat. Both Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, along with their respective militaries, confirmed in separate statements that the ceasefire had begun.
The pause in southern fighting did not stop attacks in the north. Minutes after the 3 a.m. deadline, multiple ballistic missile explosions shook Kyiv. Air alerts sounded across several regions of the country. City officials reported that late Monday strikes on a university campus in the capital killed one person and injured ten. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, authorities said late Monday attacks killed two people and injured four.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted online shortly after the strikes. He wrote, "It is important that the world sees that Russia is showing nothing but a desire to kill and continue waging war." The comments came as the country absorbed fresh missile fire despite the localized truce elsewhere.
Oleshky lies in the Kherson region, approximately 550 kilometers southeast of Kyiv. Russian forces captured the town on the first day of the full-scale invasion in 2022. In June 2023, a dam collapse sent floodwaters through the area, compounding the damage. The town sits across the Dnipro River from the city of Kherson, where Russian troops had retreated to the other side of the river in 2022.
Up to 2,000 people remain stranded in Oleshky, according to the United Nations. They are trapped by explosive mines and ongoing drone attacks. Negotiators involved in the current mission said medical staff and supplies would be delivered before evacuation corridors are opened for the residents.
Source: NPR
