US-brokered ceasefire begins in Russian-occupied Oleshky as strikes hit Kyiv
A US brokered ceasefire begins in Russian-occupied Oleshky, offering a short humanitarian window for civilians while fresh ballistic missile strikes hit Kyiv
Table of Contents
US Brokered Ceasefire Begins in Russian-Occupied Oleshky
Poinews.com – A US brokered ceasefire begins in Russian-occupied Oleshky, offering a short humanitarian window for civilians while fresh ballistic missile strikes hit Kyiv. The local pause took effect at 3 a.m. on Tuesday and is intended to allow aid workers to reach residents in the occupied southern Ukrainian city.
Up to 2,000 people are believed to remain in Oleshky, where food and medicine supplies are running low. Mines, drone attacks and unsafe evacuation routes have left many residents unable to leave the city.
The limited ceasefire was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump after discussions involving civilian negotiators from Russia and Ukraine. Her office said the talks followed a meeting with United Nations officials about the town’s humanitarian conditions.
Humanitarian aid and evacuation plans for Oleshky
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, as well as their militaries, separately confirmed that the ceasefire had begun. The arrangement is designed to support an aid mission before another round of US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv next month on ending the war, which has lasted more than four and a half years.
Melania Trump said civilian representatives from both sides would visit residents at home to assess urgent needs. The planned operation is also expected to help people who want to evacuate from the occupied city.
“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination,” Melania Trump said, adding that some residents may choose Russia while others may choose Ukraine.
Observers were expected to enter Oleshky on Thursday, potentially providing a rare close assessment of conditions during the ceasefire. Newsmax said it had exclusive television access to travel with the observers.
Kyiv hit by ballistic missiles after truce starts
Although the US brokered ceasefire begins in Russian-occupied Oleshky, it does not apply to the wider war. Within minutes of the 3 a.m. deadline, several ballistic missile explosions were reported in Kyiv and air raid alerts sounded across multiple parts of Ukraine.
One strike damaged Kyiv’s Southern Bridge, an important crossing over the Dnipro River. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said metro infrastructure on the bridge was also damaged, suspending train services across the crossing.
“A strike hit the Southern Bridge. Metro infrastructure on the bridge was also damaged,” Klitschko wrote on Telegram.
The attacks followed a late-Monday barrage that struck the grounds of a university in Kyiv. City officials said one person was killed and 10 people were injured, while damage affected the campus, nearby public areas and residential buildings.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the missiles struck crowded locations without a nearby military facility. He described the attack as a direct strike on the city and its infrastructure.
Hospitals and civilian sites suffer damage
Kyiv’s medical infrastructure was also affected. Klitschko said an explosion blew out windows in an intensive care unit, while windows were shattered in two wards at another medical facility in the same district. No patients or medical staff were reported hurt at that facility.
Elsewhere in the capital, a strike hit a building in a non-residential area. Preliminary information indicated that one person died near a supermarket, while a 20-year-old woman was injured near a university dormitory after windows were blown out.
FAQ: What does the Oleshky ceasefire mean?
Is the ceasefire in Oleshky a nationwide truce?
No. The ceasefire is limited to Russian-occupied Oleshky and is intended to make humanitarian aid and possible evacuations safer. Strikes elsewhere in Ukraine, including Kyiv, continued after it began.
Who can receive help during the ceasefire?
The planned mission is intended for civilians still trapped in Oleshky, particularly residents facing shortages of food and medicine or seeking assistance to evacuate.
Why is evacuation from Oleshky difficult?
Residents face dangerous conditions caused by mines, drone attacks and insecure routes. The humanitarian pause is meant to create a brief opportunity for coordinated support and transportation.
