2,000 people stranded in Oleshky as ceasefire begins

A local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia took effect early Tuesday, allowing a humanitarian mission to proceed. The ceasefire began at 3 a.m. to facilitate aid entering Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine. Melania Trump led negotiations with civilian representatives from both countries after meeting with U.N. officials who briefed her on the situation in Oleshky.

Up to 2,000 people are stranded in Oleshky, unable to leave due to explosive mines and drone attacks. The aid mission is planned ahead of a new round of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine, aimed at ending the war after more than 4½ years of fighting.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators as well as their militaries confirmed the ceasefire had begun. The ceasefire is set to last through Saturday, or longer, though deep mistrust between the two countries has hindered previous efforts. Minutes after 3 a.m., multiple ballistic missile explosions shook Kyiv and air alerts sounded across the country.

Late Monday, Kyiv was attacked again, with Russian ballistic missiles damaging the grounds of a university, killing one and injuring 10. In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, attacks late Monday killed two people and injured four.

Oleshky is in the partially occupied Kherson region, about 550 kilometers southeast of Kyiv, where the Dnipro River separates Russian and Ukrainian forces. Negotiators involved in the aid mission said doctors, medicines, food supplies and water would be taken to Oleshky before evacuation corridors are opened.