Russia Ends Humanitarian Evacuation in Occupied Oleshky

Russia announced Friday the conclusion of its unprecedented humanitarian operation in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine facing shortages, according to Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantartova. The evacuation, conducted under a truce expiring Sunday, involved 25 buses and nine ambulances. Evacuees transported to Armyansk in annexed Crimea were offered the choice to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory or proceed to Russia. This joint humanitarian effort, the first of its kind in the four-year-and-eight-month war, was negotiated with involvement from US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leon, with both Moscow and Kyiv seeking to demonstrate commitment to President Donald Trump's peace efforts. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN said they were not asked to provide support, though they stand ready to assist. Kremlin spokesman Peskov described the operation as a specific, isolated case with no broader implications for the peace process, as fighting continues in other regions and the truce expires Sunday.