A localised ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia came into effect early on Tuesday to allow a humanitarian mission led by US First Lady Melania Trump to get underway. The ceasefire began at 3am local time in the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky.
It will enable aid to reach people in the Russian-occupied town, where around 2,000 people are stranded with dwindling supplies of food and medicine. They are unable to leave because of explosive mines and drone attacks in the area, the UN has said.
Deal Reached Friday
Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators reached a deal Friday to provide humanitarian relief to Oleshky. The US president's wife, who worked with officials from both countries on a separate matter, initiated talks about the town after learning about the situation at one of her events during the UN General Assembly session in September.
The ceasefire follows renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, which has gone on for more than four years.
White House Statement
A White House statement quoted Mrs Trump as saying that Oleshky was "on the brink of disaster". She also said its remaining population, mainly elderly residents, was in urgent need of medical attention, medicine, food and clean water.
"The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks," she said. "It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible."
Dire Conditions in Oleshky
Ukrainian media has featured interviews with those who escaped the town and spoke to relatives that remain. Some said the town was nearing starvation and residents were relying on homegrown produce to survive, with others reportedly resorting to eating grass.
Both Russia and Ukraine have blamed one another for the dire situation. Ukraine has accused Russian forces of mining nearby roads and using the remaining residents as human shields to prevent the army from conducting offensive operations in the town. Russia has blamed Ukraine for "laying siege to the town" with drone strikes and preventing humanitarian aid from getting in.
In September, the Kremlin acknowledged issues with food and medical supplies getting into the town. At the time, it said its military was working to resolve them.
