A ceasefire began early Tuesday in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, following mediation by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Both nations agreed to the truce to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. However, just hours before the ceasefire took effect, Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
The strikes, which targeted a university campus and the Southern Bridge over the Dnipro River, left one person dead and eight others injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the attacks occurred in a densely populated area, far from any military installations.
Approximately 2,000 residents trapped in Oleshky—the site of the ceasefire—are facing a severe shortage of food and medical supplies. Under the terms of the truce, civilian officials from both Russia and Ukraine will be able to enter the area to assess the needs of the residents and, if desired, arrange for their safe evacuation. Neither side has specified the duration of this ceasefire.
Trilateral peace talks between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv are set to resume this coming November. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military has begun using specialized “Stargate” drones for the first time to rapidly evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield.
