Russia has halted strikes in Ukraine's Kherson region after a local ceasefire came into effect around the occupied town of Oleshki. The ceasefire began at 01:00 GMT on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The aim is to provide access for a humanitarian mission due to enter the town later this week.
Up to 2,000 people are living in Oleshki, suffering from acute shortages of food, medicine and other essentials. The UN says residents have been unable to leave the area due to landmines and drone attacks. The town was originally home to about 24,000 people.
The mission will deliver doctors, medicine, food and water. Evacuation corridors should then be opened for civilians who want to leave Oleshki. The Associated Press reported that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, as well as the military structures of both sides, confirmed the beginning of the ceasefire.
The agreement was reached on October 23
The agreement was announced on October 23 and was negotiated with the mediation of US First Lady Melania Trump. Pope Leo XIV also participated in the process. Washington is trying to renew peace talks between Moscow and Kiev after more than four and a half years of war.
The ceasefire is scheduled to last until Saturday or longer. However, the agreement is implemented against a background of deep distrust between Russia and Ukraine, which has already thwarted previous attempts at a ceasefire. "It is important for the world to see that Russia shows nothing but a desire to kill and continue the war," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote, as quoted by the Associated Press.
The town has been occupied since the beginning of the invasion
Oleshki is located on the east bank of the Dnieper River, opposite the city of Kherson, which is under the control of Ukrainian forces. Russian troops captured the settlement in the first days of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 and have controlled it since then.
The town has suffered significant damage from the fighting. The situation also worsened after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in 2023, when floods severely affected the area. The success of the humanitarian mission will depend on maintaining the agreed pause and on the ability to secure relief and evacuation routes.
Sources: aljazeera.com, apnews.com, investing.com