Aid convoy enters besieged Ukrainian town Oleshky

What the report says

An aid convoy has entered Oleshky, a Russian-held town in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, after weeks of planning for a relief operation for residents, Al Jazeera reported. According to the article, the convoy brought food and medical supplies as a local, United States-brokered ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine continued for a third day. The pause has been observed around Oleshky while fighting elsewhere in the war continues.

Al Jazeera said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, and Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, met in the town overnight. Lantratova said buses were ready to evacuate people who wanted to leave, while Lubinets said remaining residents should be able to depart safely and stressed the importance of keeping the truce in place. The report said evacuations were expected to continue for several hours.

The town has been heavily affected by the war since Russian forces took it soon after the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Al Jazeera reported that authorities had completed demining work around Oleshky before the aid delivery and evacuation plan began, and that two people were killed during that effort. The article also said the White House has linked the ceasefire to Melania Trump’s mediation, while the Vatican has suggested Pope Francis played a role in talks. Beyond Oleshky, the broader conflict remained active, with both sides reporting strikes on targets in Ukraine and Russia.