Russia and Ukraine have begun a localised ceasefire around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine to facilitate humanitarian assistance and evacuations amid severe shortages of food and medicine.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it halted shelling towards the Ukrainian city of Kherson from 4 a.m.
Moscow time (0100 GMT) on Tuesday to prepare for the humanitarian operation.
Oleshky is located across the Dnipro River from Kherson, which remains under Ukrainian control.
Ukraine’s parliament commissioner for human rights, Dmytro Lubinets, also confirmed that the ceasefire had taken effect, saying Kyiv was fulfilling its obligations under the agreement.
“As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is honoring its commitments,” he wrote.
The two countries agreed to the temporary truce around Oleshky to enable aid deliveries and the evacuation of civilians from the embattled town, where residents face critical shortages of essential supplies.
The settlement lies on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region.
Russian forces captured Oleshky during the early days of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and have maintained control of the town since then.
The White House said last week that US First Lady Melania Trump helped secure the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine despite the localised truce.
A Russian missile attack on Kyiv on Monday killed at least one person and injured 10 others, including students at a dormitory.
Attacks also killed and wounded people in Kharkiv and Pavlohrad, while fresh explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday morning, according to a Reuters witness.
