Ukraine-Russia Truce Takes Effect to Allow Aid Into Russian-Controlled Oleshky

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A limited ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia aimed at facilitating humanitarian assistance to the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine took effect early Tuesday, with both sides confirming a halt to fighting in the area as preparations began for a humanitarian operation.

The truce began at 3:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT), following an announcement last Friday by US First Lady Melania Trump, who said she had brokered an agreement to allow assistance to reach civilians trapped in the war-ravaged city. The AFP news agency said it could not immediately verify whether fighting had decreased.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had ceased fire in the Kherson sector in connection with preparations for the humanitarian operation, describing the arrangement as a “regime of silence.”

Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said Kyiv was fulfilling its commitments under the agreement, adding that both sides were adhering to the arrangements reached.

The ceasefire applies to a limited area and comes as Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine continues into its fifth year. Neither side has publicly specified how long the truce will last, who will monitor compliance, or the full details of the planned humanitarian operation.

Civilians Face Severe Shortages

Oleshky, located on the southern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s Kherson region, was captured by Russian forces in 2022 during the opening phase of Moscow’s military operations.

The city has remained close to the front lines, leaving residents exposed to the consequences of prolonged fighting and restricted access to essential supplies.

The population has fallen from approximately 24,000 before the war to an estimated 2,000, including as many as 50 children, according to Ukrainian and US estimates.

Former residents told AFP earlier this year that those remaining in the city faced severe shortages of food and medicine and had difficulty leaving. Some reportedly resorted to hunting pigeons or relying on whatever food they could grow in their gardens.

“They’ve forgotten what bread is. You need flour for bread, and there’s not even flour left,” Olga, who was in contact with two families still in Oleshky, told AFP.

The city also suffered extensive damage during the June 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka dam, which caused major flooding along the Dnipro River.

Ukraine has accused Russia of preventing residents from leaving the Russian-held city, a charge Moscow has denied. Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, said Monday that most people who wanted to leave had already departed voluntarily.

Humanitarian Operation Planned

Announcing the ceasefire last Friday, Melania Trump said civilian officials from Russia and Ukraine would visit residents in their homes to assess their needs and determine what assistance they required.

She added that residents wishing to evacuate would receive coordinated support and transportation to destinations of their choice, including locations in either Russia or Ukraine.

Russia’s Defense Ministry previously said the ceasefire would facilitate the safe passage of a humanitarian convoy carrying essential supplies to Oleshky. However, neither Moscow nor Kyiv has provided a detailed public timetable for the operation.

Ukraine’s military said it would make every effort to assist residents and ensure the safety and rescue of Ukrainian citizens. Ukrainian authorities have also released drone footage showing damaged apartment blocks and videos of drones delivering medicine and food to people remaining in the city.

International access to Russian-held areas remains restricted, with the Russian military not routinely granting foreign media access to Oleshky. US cable network Newsmax has said it received exclusive television access to accompany observers entering the city on Thursday.

Wider War Continues

Despite the localized truce, Russian attacks continued elsewhere in Ukraine. On Tuesday morning, Ukraine’s air force issued multiple warnings about ballistic missiles heading toward Kyiv. The capital’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, said a strike hit the Southern Bridge, one of the city’s main crossings, damaging metro infrastructure.

The war, launched by Russia in February 2022, has killed and wounded large numbers of military personnel and civilians and forced millions of Ukrainians from their homes. Russia currently controls Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east, and substantial parts of the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

The Oleshky ceasefire comes amid broader diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. US-mediated peace talks involving Washington, Moscow and Kyiv are expected to resume in November after a months-long interruption.

Whether the localized truce can deliver sustained humanitarian access to Oleshky remains uncertain, particularly as the parties have yet to disclose monitoring arrangements or the duration of the ceasefire.