Aid convoy sets off for Russian-held town of Oleshky in Ukraine, Izvestia says

An aid convoy started moving overnight towards ​the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, carrying ​food and medical supplies among ‌other items, the ​Russian newspaper Izvestia said on Friday.

The move follows weeks of efforts to organise a relief operation for residents of the acutely deprived town, seized ‌by Russian forces soon after Moscow's February 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbour. Ukraine human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets and Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, each wearing patches showing their nation's flags, met by night in video images released by Russian state TV ‌channel Vesti.

"Is everything all right?" Lantratova asked in Russian in the clip. "Yes, we were warmly welcomed," Lubinets ‌replied in Ukrainian. The channel said the meeting was in Oleshky. A fleet of 25 buses with at least 750 seats stood ready to evacuate those seeking to leave, including pets, Lantratova said.

Russian newswires quoted Lantratova as saying Moscow and Kyiv were sticking to their agreements, ⁠while a ​ceasefire was holding to enable ⁠aid to the town. Both commissioners and the US side had helped mediate the ceasefire. Reporters from countries such as France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine ⁠and the United States are accompanying the convoy, according to Izvestia.

On Thursday, Russia and Ukraine said demining operations had been completed ​around Oleshky and the operation was ready to begin, to deliver aid to residents and let ⁠some leave. Two people were killed in the demining effort in Oleshky, Lantratova said on Friday.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck an industrial facility near Kremenchuk ⁠while ​hitting the capital, Kyiv and Kharkiv, the second biggest city, to cause fires, officials said on the Telegram messaging app, after deadly strikes a day before. Russia has struck military facilities in Ukraine, the Russian defence ⁠ministry said on Telegram on Friday.

It added that it hit energy infrastructure in and around Kyiv, as well ⁠as in the Dnipropetrovsk ⁠region, port facilities in the Odesa region and cargo vessels it said were used by the military. Russian authorities downed most of the more than 850 drones headed overnight towards ‌Moscow, the capital's ‌Mayor Sergei Sobyanian said on Telegram.