Oleshky Ceasefire and Aid Operation End Without Any Violations, Lantratova Says

A ceasefire in and around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine, concluded this weekend without any reported violations, according to Russia's human rights chief Yana Lantratova, who addressed the matter on Monday. The truce, which began on Tuesday and ended on Sunday, aimed to facilitate initial demining operations and subsequent humanitarian relief deliveries to the town's residents, who were experiencing severe shortages of food and medicine.

Both Russia and Ukraine endorsed U.S. first lady Melania Trump's role in mediating the agreement. Lantratova emphasized that no incidents or violations occurred during the ceasefire, countering a claim from Russia's Foreign Ministry that a Ukrainian drone strike on a vehicle in Oleshky had injured two civilians. The Kremlin praised the coordination among all sides, though it did not comment on the alleged violation.

The exact number of people who left Oleshky during the six-day ceasefire remains unclear, as Russian authorities had prepared buses for up to 750 evacuations, but many returned empty. Lantratova dismissed attempts to politicize the mission, stating that its purpose was humanitarian, not political. She and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets agreed to seek regular, monthly humanitarian missions to Oleshky, seeking help from U.S. first lady Melania Trump for future efforts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the mission as a success, crediting the international attention for the salvation of people. Despite Russia's designation of The Moscow Times as an undesirable organization, the journalists of the newspaper remain committed to providing unbiased reporting and seek support from readers to continue their work.