Ceasefire lets joint Ukraine-Russia mission enter occupied Oleshky

A U.S.-brokered local ceasefire enabled a Ukrainian-Russian humanitarian mission to enter Russian-occupied Oleshky in southern Ukraine, where about 2,000 residents have faced shortages of food and medicine amid fighting and mined roads. The Ukrainian delegation, led by human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, and the Russian delegation met in Homiel, Belarus, and traveled together after evacuation routes were cleared. A convoy of 25 buses, ambulances and other vehicles began delivering aid and offering transport to residents who wish to leave, while assistance is also planned for those staying; the truce is set to last through Sunday, November 1. Some residents fear coercive screening during evacuation through Russian-controlled territory, and reports cited by Ukrainian media said evacuees might be taken first to Crimea or Russia before returning to Ukrainian-controlled territory. American Newsmax journalists accompanied the Ukrainian delegation to document the mission.