Oleshky aid truce extends across a wider part of Kherson
A ceasefire intended to bring aid into Russian-occupied Oleshky expanded across a wider part of Ukraine’s Kherson region, officials said. Ukrainian regional officials reported that shelling had stopped in Kherson city. Aid deliveries are to precede a Friday evacuation, but mined roads and uncertainty over residents’ destinations remain central obstacles.
Geopolitics··Midday
Officials report a wider pause in fighting
A ceasefire arranged for aid deliveries to Russian-occupied Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, expanded beyond the city on Tuesday. US first lady Melania Trump announced a wider area for safe passage of humanitarian convoys. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman also confirmed the expansion.[1], [2]
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson regional administration, said Russian shelling had stopped in Ukrainian-held Kherson city and elsewhere in the region. Russia and Ukraine said they were observing the truce. The BBC reported no breaches as of Tuesday.[1]
Aid is to arrive before Friday’s evacuation
Aid deliveries are to come first, followed by a Friday evacuation for residents who want to leave. Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia said the ceasefire would last until Sunday. An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, with several thousand more nearby. The city has lacked electricity, water and gas for years.[1]
Mined roads and destinations complicate evacuation
Mined roads and drone attacks make travel dangerous. Russia’s defence ministry said its units were clearing explosives from access roads. A local volunteer told the BBC that about 500 people had expressed interest in evacuation. The route and destinations remained uncertain. President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced concern that residents leaving through Russian-controlled territory might not return to Ukraine. Bridges across the Dnipro River have been destroyed, and its riverbank is mined and dangerous.[1]
