Oct 30 (Reuters) – 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.
Izvestia showed clips featuring Russia’s human rights commissioner Lana Lantratova, along with images of passenger buses parked along a road.
Reporters from countries such as France, Italy, Russia, Ukraine and the United States would accompany the convoy, it added.
On Thursday, Russia and Ukraine said demining operations had been completed around Oleshky and the humanitarian operation was ready to begin, to deliver aid to residents and let some leave.
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.
The Russian capital of Moscow was repelling a drone attack, its mayor said.
(Reporting by Jekaterīna Golubkova in Tokyo; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
