A fragile ceasefire has taken effect in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow food and medical supplies into the besieged community and help civilians escape after months of extreme hardship left some residents eating garden weeds to survive.
The truce is intended to create a safe passage for humanitarian deliveries and an evacuation planned for Friday, although residents remain fearful that fighting could resume before they reach safety.
The BBC reported that Ukrainian officials and Russia’s Defence Ministry had confirmed that the limited ceasefire was being observed, with the White House crediting US First Lady Melania Trump with securing the arrangement.
Oleshky, in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, has been under Russian occupation since the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The city is separated from Ukrainian-held territory by the Dnipro River, while Russian forces control the surrounding area.
The humanitarian situation has deteriorated severely, with residents facing shortages of food, drinking water and electricity. Shops are closed, and the city has been without electricity, gas and running water for about three years.
Ukrainian authorities estimate that up to 6,000 people, including about 200 children, remain in Oleshky and nearby communities, although only around 1,700 are believed to be living within the city itself. Before the war, Oleshky had a population of approximately 24,000.
Escaping the city has become dangerous because roads have been mined and exposed to drone attacks. One woman told the BBC that she had stepped on a landmine and undergone two operations in hospital, leaving her uncertain whether she would recover in time to join the planned evacuation.
Despite the ceasefire, residents fear that the evacuation could expose them to renewed shooting, detention or reprisals. Some are also worried that Russian authorities could inspect their phones and online activities for evidence of support for Ukraine.
Uncertainty over the evacuation arrangements has added to their anxiety, with residents seeking clarification on registration, travel routes and whether they would be allowed to take their pets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also expressed concern that routes cleared by Russian forces could direct evacuees towards Russia rather than Ukrainian-controlled territory. He has said civilians should be able to reach their intended destinations, including areas under Ukrainian control.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its Dnepr military group had begun inspecting access routes and removing explosives and booby traps in preparation for the humanitarian operation. It also announced that firing towards the Ukrainian city of Kherson, across the river from Oleshky, had stopped at 04:00 Moscow time.
Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, has travelled to coordinate the operation, which is being conducted with the involvement of Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova.
The ceasefire follows growing international concern over the plight of Oleshky’s residents. Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to permit food and medical assistance into the city and ensure safe evacuation, while urging Zelensky to cooperate over a truce.
The Kremlin acknowledged last month that Oleshky faced a critical situation and shortages of food and medicine, while blaming Kyiv for the difficulties.
Although the ceasefire offers a chance to deliver assistance and evacuate civilians, communication with residents remains difficult, making independent verification of developments on the ground challenging.
The humanitarian pause is taking place as fighting continues elsewhere. Russian attacks on Kyiv on Monday killed one person and injured 14, while a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Bryansk region reportedly killed one person and injured six others.
For Oleshky’s trapped residents, the immediate concern is whether the truce will last long enough to bring relief and provide a safe escape from a city where survival has become a daily struggle
