Aid convoy enters besieged Ukrainian town of Oleshky amid power outages in Dnipropetrovsk

An aid convoy carrying food and medical supplies has entered the Russian-held town of Oleshky in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, according to Al Jazeera. This follows a six-day local ceasefire brokered by the United States between Russia and Ukraine, which has now entered its third day.

Russian and Ukrainian human rights officials met in Oleshky to coordinate the relief efforts and evacuations. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova reported that 25 buses with at least 750 seats were ready to evacuate residents, with operations ongoing until 2pm local time. Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets emphasized the importance of maintaining the ceasefire for safe evacuations.

The ceasefire and aid delivery came after demining operations around Oleshky were completed, though two people were killed during the demining effort, Al Jazeera noted. The White House credited US First Lady Melania Trump with mediating the ceasefire due to the dire humanitarian situation in the town.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported that more than 200,000 people remain without power in the central Dnipropetrovsk region following recent Russian missile and drone strikes, according to France 24. The attacks damaged critical infrastructure, leading to widespread blackouts and emergency power cuts ordered by the grid operator.

The Ukrainian air force confirmed that Russia used ballistic missiles and drones to strike multiple regions overnight, including Dnipropetrovsk, causing significant damage. Energy workers have been working through the night to restore power to essential facilities, France 24 reported.

The aid convoy's arrival in Oleshky and the ongoing evacuations occur amid continuing hostilities and infrastructure attacks in other parts of Ukraine, highlighting the complex humanitarian and security situation in the country.