Mykolaiv: A local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine came into effect early Tuesday to facilitate a humanitarian aid operation led by US First Lady Melania Trump. However, fresh ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv shortly after the truce began raised questions over the prospects for a pause in hostilities.
The ceasefire started at 3 am local time and is intended to allow humanitarian assistance to reach Oleshky, a town in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine. The arrangement is expected to remain in force until Saturday or potentially longer.
Melania Trump had met United Nations officials to receive an update on conditions in Oleshky before holding discussions with civilian negotiators from Russia and Ukraine, her office said.
Around 2,000 people are believed to be stranded in the town amid shortages of food and medicines. Explosive landmines and the threat of drone attacks have made it difficult for residents to leave safely.
The planned relief operation is expected to deliver doctors, medicines, food supplies and drinking water. Negotiators also intend to establish safe routes to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from the area.
Despite the ceasefire, missile strikes were reported in Kyiv within minutes of its commencement, while air raid alerts sounded across several parts of Ukraine. The Ukrainian capital had also come under attack late Monday, when Russian ballistic missiles damaged the premises of a university, injuring several people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reacting online after the latest strikes, said the world needed to see that Russia wanted to kill and continue the war.
Oleshky lies across the Dnipro River from Kherson, in a region partly occupied by Russian forces. Russian troops captured the town on the first day of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The area was also severely affected by flooding following the destruction of a dam in June 2023.
The local truce comes amid expectations of another round of US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv next month, aimed at ending the conflict that has continued for more than four years.
Previous ceasefire attempts have been undermined by deep mistrust between the two sides. The latest arrangement is a limited humanitarian measure, and its implementation remains critical to ensuring that aid reaches civilians safely.
