Joint Aid Convoy Reaches Oleshky as Residents Face Hard Choice

A joint Ukrainian-Russian humanitarian operation, mediated by Melania Trump, delivered aid to the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky during a ceasefire, with officials calling it a potential step toward peace. The mission brought food, medicine, and evacuation buses to the front-line town, where only 2,000 of its pre-war 24,000 residents remain. Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova coordinated the effort, which included 50 medical staff and 25 buses with 750 seats for evacuees. The ceasefire has held without incident, and both officials thanked the First Lady for securing the operation, which the Vatican also supported. Many remaining residents, mostly elderly, chose to stay, fearing loss of their homes, while evacuees were largely young people. Residents' decisions to leave for Ukrainian or Russian territory have divided families, though some observers note choices often depend on where relatives can provide support.