A landmark evacuation and humanitarian aid mission was underway Friday inside a devastated Russian-occupied city in Ukraine, during a localized ceasefire brokered by first lady Melania Trump and with the involvement of Pope Leo XIV.
Ukrainian officials have described the operation in Oleshky as one of the most significant pauses in fighting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four and a half years ago. Humanitarian teams from both sides were on the ground early Friday, with the first lady posting to X that they were “delivering aid and preparing the convoy for civilian evacuation.”
However, any sense that the ceasefire might yield wider progress in the war was tempered by Russian missile strikes on other cities ahead of what is predicted to be a bitter winter for Ukraine.
Some Ukrainians in the city were also worried about where they would end up after being evacuated.
Though Oleshky is just across the Dnieper River from Ukrainian-held Kherson, the planned escape route to Ukrainian-controlled territory runs through Russia and its ally Belarus. Some residents told Sky News they feared they would not be allowed to continue into Ukraine, leaving them weighing whether to board the buses or remain in the devastated city.
Source: NBC
--Agencies
