Localised ceasefire takes effect in Ukraine's Oleshky to let aid reach stranded residents

A limited ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces around the town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine came into force early on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, opening the way for a humanitarian mission to people trapped there. The truce began at 3 am Ukraine time, two days earlier than originally planned, and is expected to last at least until Saturday.

Oleshky lies on the occupied left bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson region, about 550 km south-east of Kyiv. The town had roughly 24,000 residents before the full-scale war. The United Nations estimates that up to 2,000 people remain, many of them elderly, with dwindling supplies of food and medicine and little electricity. Mined roads and frequent drone strikes have made it almost impossible for them to leave.

Aid first, then evacuations

US first lady Melania Trump announced the start of the ceasefire on social media, describing Oleshky as a front-line town on the brink of disaster. The White House said last week that she had helped secure the arrangement, working with civilian representatives from both countries after meetings with UN officials.

Under the plan, doctors, medicines, food and water are to be brought into the town before safe corridors open. Residents who wish to leave are to be offered transport to a destination of their choice in either Russia or Ukraine, and civilian representatives from both sides are expected to visit residents to assess their needs. Reports said the arrangement had since been widened to cover safe passage for aid convoys.

A small step amid wider talks

The ceasefire is local and does not change the situation along the rest of the front line, where fighting and long-range strikes continue. It comes ahead of a fresh round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine expected next month, aimed at ending a war that has now lasted more than four and a half years.

Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned about the plight of civilians in front-line settlements on both sides of the Dnipro. Whether the Oleshky arrangement holds through the weekend will be watched as a test of whether smaller, practical agreements can build trust before broader negotiations.

For India, which has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict, any de-escalation also matters for food and fertiliser supplies and energy prices that have been affected by the war.