Ceasefire begins after 4 a.m. halt in shelling near Oleshky

Russia and Ukraine began a localized ceasefire on Tuesday at 4 a.m. Moscow time to facilitate a humanitarian operation in Oleshky. The town, located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, has been under Russian control since the early days of the 2022 invasion. The immediate goal is to move aid and evacuate residents from a frontline area facing severe shortages of food and medicine.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced via Telegram that it stopped shelling in the direction of Kherson to prepare for the operation. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliament commissioner for human rights, confirmed the truce started simultaneously. Writing on Facebook, Lubinets stated, "As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is honoring its commitments." The arrangement allows for deliveries to the occupied sector while Ukrainian forces hold the opposite bank.

The White House disclosed last week that First Lady Melania Trump helped secure the agreement. Oleshky sits in the southern Kherson region, directly across the river from the city of Kherson. The town has remained a contested point of interest due to its proximity to the river line and its status as a supply hub for the occupied territory.

The ceasefire comes amid continued fighting elsewhere in the country. A Russian missile strike on Kyiv on Monday killed at least one person and injured ten others, including students in a dormitory. Similar attacks in Kharkiv and Pavlohrad also caused casualties. New explosions were heard in Kyiv on Tuesday morning according to a Reuters witness, indicating that the wider conflict remains active despite the localized pause in shelling.