A temporary ceasefire around the frontline town of Alyoshki in Russia’s Kherson Region has taken effect to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of civilians, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced.
According to a brief statement by the ministry, the ceasefire began at 4am Moscow time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday “in preparation for a humanitarian operation.”
General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s chief of the General Staff, said last week that military engineers would conduct reconnaissance and ensure “the safe passage of a humanitarian convoy” into the town. The Ukrainian General Staff also confirmed last week that it would observe the truce.
Russian authorities estimate that between 1,500 and 2,000 civilians remain trapped in Alyoshki, on the left bank of the Dnieper River opposite the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson. The town has been largely cut off from supplies for months, with Ukrainian shelling and drone strikes preventing regular aid deliveries, according to Russian officials.
Ukraine has accused Russia of preventing civilians from leaving the embattled town. However, residents who managed to escape told RT earlier this month that Alyoshki was effectively under siege by Ukrainian forces, which they said were carrying out constant attacks.
Between October 19 and 26 alone, Ukrainian forces carried out 18 artillery strikes and more than 120 drone strikes on Alyoshki and its main access roads, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Russian officials also said Ukrainian forces had used drones to drop mines on roads leading to Alyoshki, further hampering supply deliveries.
The ceasefire was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, who warned that the town was “on the brink of disaster.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the humanitarian truce, if successful, “could set a precedent” for other areas.