Melania Trump brokers short-term halt to fighting in southern Ukraine
A ceasefire took effect early Tuesday to facilitate an aid mission to the occupied town of Oleshky, where thousands remain stranded.
By Amelia Gupta ·
A localized ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia took effect at 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
The pause in hostilities was arranged to allow a humanitarian convoy to enter the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump led the negotiations with civilian representatives from both sides. Her office stated that she met with U.N. officials to review the conditions in the town before facilitating the talks. The mission is scheduled to occur later this week.
United Nations estimates indicate that up to 2,000 residents are trapped in Oleshky. Food and medicine supplies are running low. Explosive mines and drone activity in the surrounding area have prevented civilians from leaving. Negotiators for both countries confirmed the start of the ceasefire in separate statements. The military branches of Ukraine and Russia also verified the cessation of local fighting.
The agreement is set to remain in place through Saturday, though it may be extended. Deep skepticism between Moscow and Kyiv has hindered previous attempts to establish similar truces. The current pause serves as a precursor to a new round of U.S.-mediated diplomatic discussions expected next month. Those talks aim to end the conflict, which has continued for more than four and a half years.
Despite the local truce, missile strikes resumed in other parts of Ukraine. Minutes after the ceasefire began, ballistic missile impacts were felt in Kyiv. Air raid sirens activated across multiple regions. Late Monday, Russian missiles struck a university campus in the capital, killing one person and injuring ten, according to city officials. In Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, attacks resulted in two deaths and four injuries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted online shortly after the strikes. He wrote that the world must see Russia's continued desire to wage war. Oleshky is located in the partially occupied Kherson region, approximately 550 kilometers southeast of Kyiv. The Dnipro River separates the town from the administrative capital of Kherson. Russian forces captured Oleshky on the first day of their full-scale invasion in 2022. A dam collapse in June 2023 caused severe flooding in the area.
Aid teams plan to transport doctors, medicines, food, and water to the town. Evacuation corridors will open after the supplies are delivered.
