The First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, announced this Wednesday that Russia and Ukraine have launched demining tasks in the areas near the city of Oleshki, in the province of Kherson, as an essential preliminary step to ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid in safe conditions.
"Russia and Ukraine have initiated demining operations to guarantee the safe passage of humanitarian aid to Oleshki," as part of the ceasefire that she herself proposed last Friday.
Melania Trump thus responded to the statement from the commissioner for Human Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament, Dimitro Lubinets, who emphasized that this removal of mines "is a crucial step to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and help civilians who wish to leave the city".
Lubinets has highlighted the cooperation of his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, throughout the entire process. "Our shared goal is to ensure that people receive assistance and have the opportunity to reach a safe place," he said.
This same Wednesday, the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, admitted that for now he does not know what the final destination will be for those who choose to be evacuated, although he has acknowledged that the "easiest" thing is for them to move to the part of the Kherson region that remains under Moscow's control.
"I also know that there are many people there who want to go to the territory controlled by Ukraine. I know how the evacuation to Ukraine can be carried out technically, but I do not know how it will be in practice," he noted in a press appearance.
Oleshki, under Russian occupation, has become one of the main emblems of the destruction and extreme scarcity caused by the conflict. Tens of thousands of inhabitants survive there practically without food, electric supply or medication.
The Kherson Police likewise warned this Wednesday that "there are no safe areas" throughout the province, in line with what is happening in other coastal areas. "All of them are potentially mined because all were bombed, attacked by drones and land mines were registered almost everywhere," it warned.