Moscow in contact with Melania Trump’s team over Ukrainian blockade – ombudswoman

The dire situation in Alyoshki was discussed during a Putin-Trump phone call on Friday US First Lady Melania Trump has expressed willingness to support humanitarian efforts in the Russian town of Alyoshki, where civilians are trapped under a Ukrainian siege amid severe shortages of food, water, and medicine, Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova said.

Located close to the front line in Kherson Region, which voted to join Russia four years ago, the town has been largely deprived of basic services for months.

Frequent drone attacks and remotely laid mines obstruct aid deliveries and hinder evacuation efforts.

The local authorities estimate that 1,500 to 2,000 people remain in the town, including women, children, and the elderly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, discussed the humanitarian crisis during a phone call on Friday and agreed that the commissioner would maintain contact with the US first lady’s office, according to the Kremlin.

Moscow has accused Kiev of deliberately creating the humanitarian crisis through its attacks on civilian supply routes and exploiting the resulting human tragedy to blame Russia.

Read more Putin and Trump hold ‘successful’ talks: Key details “To address this dire situation, we remain in contact with the American side and the team of Melania Trump, who has voiced her willingness to help the town,” Lantratova wrote in a Telegram post on Saturday, adding that difficult negotiations are underway to arrange humanitarian deliveries and evacuate those in need of urgent care.

Lantratova said Ukraine deliberately destroyed the latest humanitarian convoy, despite the vehicles bearing signs reading ‘People’.

Residents have had to risk their lives to bring essential supplies into the town on foot or by bicycle.

“If the Ukrainians stopped attacking and mining civilian supply routes, it would allow the delivery of necessary aid and the evacuation of those who urgently need it,” she said.

“We will continue to help all residents no matter what their political views are.

Human beings are our top priority, and the value of each human life is unconditional,” Lantratova added.

Read more Zelensky ‘doesn’t give a damn’ about Ukrainians – Russian envoy Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry envoy Rodion Miroshnik said Ukrainian forces have effectively besieged Alyoshki, blocking essential deliveries and preventing residents from leaving.

He accused them of continuing to mine roads, attack civilians, and obstruct the recovery of victims’ bodies to prevent war crimes from being documented.