European Parliament Vice President ends hunger strike following Oleshky ceasefire announcement
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The European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno ended her hunger strike, meant to raise awareness for the humanitarian crisis in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Oct. 24.
Lubinets said he informed Picierno that a temporary local ceasefire in Oleshky had been agreed to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of the civilian population starting on Oct. 27.
The agreement includes demining the road to the town, deliveries of food, water, medicine, and medical equipment, and the safe passage of civilians, he added.
Some 2,000 civilians remain trapped in Oleshky, located just across the Dnipro River from Kherson, with Russian troops blocking humanitarian aid from entering, despite a critical shortage of food and medicine.
Civilians attempting to flee via the mined roads in and out of the city are frequently targeted by drones.
Picierno announced the hunger strike on Oct. 20, demanding an immediate humanitarian truce in the occupied town. "It is time to act together, so that diplomacy delivers concrete results and no one is left to die in silence," she said.
Her announcement came days after Pope Leo XIV called for a ceasefire following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 16.
Ukraine will fulfill its part of the "extremely difficult" humanitarian operation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message on Oct. 24. "We hope that it will be possible to carry out this humanitarian operation — to unblock Oleshky," he added.
The temporary truce was facilitated by U.S. first lady Melania Trump, who spoke with both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
"Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require," Melania Trump was quoted as saying in a press release.
"Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine."
