In brief
In a rare pause to the conflict, the town of Oleshky – now under Russian control – fell silent as a truce was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. The agreement will let aid trucks move through the city and allow civilians to evacuate by Friday. Residents, however, worry that the safest evacuation routes may lead through Crimea into Russia. BBC’s correspondent Dan Johnson covered the situation, noting soldiers’ restraint and the fragile relief for trapped civilians.
For the first time in weeks, the streets of Oleshky – a small Ukrainian town now occupied by Russian forces – fell silent as gunfire stopped and a truce took effect.
The ceasefire was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, who, according to the White House, negotiated a temporary halt that will allow aid trucks to move through the city and enable civilians to evacuate.
Locals say they are relieved yet wary. “We’re afraid the evacuation routes could lead us through Crimea and into Russia,” one resident told the BBC, noting that the most practical paths run along the southern border.
The truce is scheduled to last until Friday, giving humanitarian workers time to bring in necessities and set up temporary shelters for those displaced from their homes.
BBC’s Ukraine correspondent Dan Johnson covered the story and can be read in full here.
