The local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Oleshki area has come into force. The agreement should allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians from the town occupied by Russian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had stopped shelling in the direction of Kherson from 04:00 Moscow time. According to the ministry, the measure is necessary for the preparation of the humanitarian operation in Oleshki.
The Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights to the Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Lubynets, confirmed that the ceasefire had begun at the specified time. "As the head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is fulfilling its commitments," he wrote.
Aid and evacuation from the frontline town
Oleshki is located on the east bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region, opposite Kherson, which is under the control of Ukrainian forces. The town is on the frontline and is reportedly experiencing an acute shortage of food and medicine.
The humanitarian operation is aimed at delivering necessary aid and evacuating civilians. The agreement was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump.
Russian troops captured Oleshki in the early days of the war in February 2022. The town has been under Russian control since then.
Striking in other parts of Ukraine
The introduction of the local ceasefire has not stopped fighting in the rest of the country. A Russian missile strike on Kiev on Monday killed at least one person and injured 10, including students in a dormitory.
Deaths and injuries were also reported in attacks in Kharkiv and Pavlograd. These incidents are outside the agreed ceasefire zone around Oleshki.
Sources: news.bg, apnews.com