Ceasefire for Oleschky: aid transports should start

The situation at a glance

Ceasefire for Oleschky: aid transports should start

After a break in fighting brokered by Melania Trump, an aid transport can start to Oleschky in southern Ukraine. The route has been cleared of mines – but the evacuation also needs to be organized.

That of the US First Lady Melania Trump mediated humanitarian aid operation for the Russian-occupied front-line town of Oleschky in the south of the Ukraine enters the decisive phase. According to Russian human rights officer Yana Lantratova, the route has now been cleared of mines and unexploded bombs to transport aid. In addition, a schedule for the distribution of relief supplies and the departure of residents of the small town who wanted to evacuate was published. Meanwhile, Lantratova’s Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinez has to decide on his travel route Belarus and Russia justify.

From Tuesday to Sunday inclusive, a localized ceasefire applies to Oleshky and the surrounding area, from which the regional capital Kherson, located on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River, also benefits. This is intended to enable transport in and out of the city that would otherwise be prevented by drone attacks and mines.

Melania Trump also confirmed the clearing of the mines, referring to the Ukrainian human rights representative Lubinets. “All routes jointly determined by Ukraine and Russia have been cleared for safe passage,” wrote the First Lady on Platform

According to Lantratowa and Lubinez, the motorcade will travel to the local hospital before relief supplies are distributed starting at 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 p.m. CET). Everyone who wanted to leave should have arrived half an hour beforehand.

“I thank the First Lady of the USA“, Melania Trump, for her personal commitment, her mediation and coordination, thanks to which it was possible to reach humanitarian agreements,” both human rights officers wrote in parallel. Lantratowa and Lubinez will reportedly coordinate the further action with US representatives. Journalists would work on site “who can speak personally with the residents,” wrote Lantratowa.

According to Lantratowa, dozens of tons of humanitarian aid supplies are to be brought to the front-line city – especially foodstuffs such as flour, grain, sugar, cooking oil, and canned meat and fish. Hygiene products and fuel for emergency power devices would also be delivered. The central hospital also receives medication such as antibiotics and insulin.

Some of the goods were reportedly put together by the team of Russian human rights officers, others by the Russian Red Cross. The issue will be made jointly with Lubinez, it said.

According to the Internet portal “Ukrainskaya Pravda”, several hundred people from Oleshky have entered an evacuation list. Accordingly, around 1,500 of the former 24,000 residents remained in the front-line city. According to information from the Hromadske news site, thanks to the ceasefire, around 100 bodies that have been stored in the basement of the local hospital for months could also be removed from Oleshky.