Humanitarian aid is set to enter the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky on Friday, as a six-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine entered its third day. Military units have cleared landmines in the area, enabling the delivery of food and medical supplies to approximately 2,000 civilians trapped in the stricken city.
Russian strikes kill 16 in Ukraine as localized truce brings brief respite
Russian attacks on Thursday killed at least 16 civilians across multiple Ukrainian cities, including Dnipro, where a drone strike on two passenger trains left 14 dead and 14 injured. Among the wounded was a 40-year-old man who underwent leg amputations. Separate strikes in Chernihiv and Kremenchuk claimed the lives of two 15-year-old girls and three additional civilians, respectively. In total, 56 people were injured, including 10 children.
Ceasefire holds amid ongoing hostilities
The truce in Oleshky, brokered with assistance from U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, has allowed humanitarian aid to reach residents and facilitated civilian evacuations. Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the ceasefire had held for 54 hours without reported violations. Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova also verified compliance, noting that Russian engineers were assisting with infrastructure repairs.
Russia reports downing 1,214 Ukrainian drones
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated its air defenses intercepted 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight, describing it as one of Kyiv’s largest drone attacks. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that roughly half of the drones were targeting the Russian capital. Ukraine, in turn, reported 112 Russian drones were fired at seven locations across the country.
Background: Oleshky’s humanitarian crisis
Oleshky, a front-line city in the Kherson region, has faced severe shortages of food, electricity, and medical supplies due to prolonged conflict. Melania Trump highlighted the dire conditions in a statement, asserting that without intervention, humanitarian access and civilian evacuations would have been impossible. The ceasefire is scheduled to last six days, providing a rare window for aid delivery and mine clearance.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Dnipro train strike as a "horrific attack," while Russian strikes on Kharkiv damaged an educational facility and caused fires in two districts. The attacks occurred despite the localized truce, underscoring the broader state of hostilities between the two nations.