Aid convoy prepares to enter Oleshky under ceasefire

A humanitarian aid mission to the Ukrainian city of Oleshky is set to launch later Friday, bringing supplies to residents who have been trapped by fighting and mined roads. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's ombudsman and chief negotiator, stated that the convoy includes 25 buses, ambulances, and other vehicles.

Lubinets said the convoy has already been assembled in Armyansk, a town in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine. The staging area sits about 85 kilometers, or 53 miles, south of Oleshky. He emphasized that the group is bringing humanitarian aid to local residents and that the primary goal is ensuring the supplies reach every person who needs them.

"We pay special attention to the elderly, people with disabilities," Lubinets said regarding the distribution priorities.

The localized ceasefire and the aid mission were negotiated by U.S. first lady Melania Trump. She led talks between Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova. Moscow and Kyiv have observed the truce in and around the city since Tuesday.

Oleshky is located just inside Russian-occupied territory in Kherson region. Residents gained global attention after heavy fighting and blocked routes caused shortages of food and medicine. The war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion more than four and a half years ago, continues elsewhere despite the local pause in fighting.

Previous attempts at a ceasefire have failed or resulted in truces that quickly collapsed.