Ukraine Ceasefire Extended Across Kherson Region
A ceasefire in Oleshky, Kherson, has been expanded to ensure safe passage for humanitarian convoys and upcoming civilian evacuations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Ceasefire initially aimed at delivering food and medicine to Russian-occupied Oleshky.
- The truce zone has now expanded across the broader southern Kherson region.
- Aid deliveries are planned for Thursday, followed by civilian evacuations on Friday.
- Thousands of trapped residents are facing severe hunger and desperate conditions.
A ceasefire that originally began with the objective of bringing food and medicine to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky has now been extended across the wider southern region of Kherson, according to local sources.
Several thousand residents remain trapped in the city without electricity, running water, or food supplies. The Dnipro river blocks one side while Russian forces control the other, leaving all departure routes extremely perilous.
US First Lady Melania Trump, who helped broker the truce alongside Pope Leo XIV, stated on Tuesday that the covered area had been expanded to provide secure passage for humanitarian relief convoys.
Before the conflict, Oleshky was home to 24,000 residents, but Russian forces seized control during the initial days of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. No shops remain operational, and the municipality has lacked electricity, gas, and water since the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023.
"The area covered by the ceasefire has expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson region, to provide safe passage for the humanitarian convoys."
Melania Trump
The development was subsequently corroborated by the press secretary to Ukraine's public ombudsman and by Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of Kherson, who noted that Russian shelling had ceased in both Kherson city and the surrounding region.
The humanitarian situation in Oleshky highlights the severe hardships faced by civilians stranded in frontline territories. While the temporary ceasefire offers a vital window for aid and evacuation, profound distrust between the warring parties and hazardous mined routes continue to pose critical obstacles for those seeking safety.
Under the terms of the arrangement, the cessation of hostilities is set to precede humanitarian deliveries to Oleshky, followed by evacuation procedures scheduled for Friday for any residents wishing to depart. Estimates indicate that 1,700 to 2,000 individuals remain inside Oleshky proper, with several thousand more in adjacent areas.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed head of the occupied parts of Kherson, claimed that temporary accommodations have been established within the region, as well as in Russian-annexed Crimea and select Russian territories, although these reports remain unverified on the ground.
Source: BBC World
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