By Ahmed Abdelsalam
A six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky entered its third day on Thursday with no reported violations, as humanitarian aid is scheduled to arrive Friday for about 2,000 residents trapped in the front-line city.
Ceasefire holds for third day
The truce, brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, has allowed military units to clear landmines from roads and prepare a safe passage for a humanitarian convoy. Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the ceasefire had held for 54 hours and both sides were fully adhering to the agreement. His Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, confirmed Russian engineers were de-mining roads and that no violations had been recorded.
Humanitarian aid expected Friday
Aid deliveries are due to begin Friday, bringing food, medicine, clean water and other essential supplies to the predominantly elderly population. Officials said local residents would also be able to evacuate either into Russia or Ukraine, though the mechanics of the evacuation remain unclear.
Drone attacks persist elsewhere
Despite the localized truce, heavy fighting continued in other areas. Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight, one of the largest drone attacks launched by Kyiv, with around half targeting Moscow. Ukraine reported Russia fired 112 drones at seven locations across the country.
Pope Leo XIV urges truce
Pope Leo XIV also pressed for a ceasefire in the area. Both Moscow and Kyiv thanked Melania Trump for her role in brokering the temporary pause, which the White House said enabled aid to reach desperate civilians.
