U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, to allow humanitarian aid in and civilians out. The White House announced on Friday, October 23, that both nations agreed to temporarily halt all military action in the city, where some 2,000 residents — mostly elderly people, plus about 50 children — are trapped with food, drinking water, and medicine running out.
A city on the brink of disaster
Oleshky sits on the southern bank of the Dnipro River, across from Ukrainian-held Kherson. Russian troops have held it since 2022. Its population has collapsed from roughly 24,000 before the war to an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 today. About 90 percent of the city was flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, according to the White House, and roughly five miles behind the front lines, residents face mined roads, wrecked electricity grids, and regular military attacks.
The remaining residents are mostly elderly people who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water, Melania Trump said in a written statement. Food, drinking water, and medicine ran out in February, and former residents told AFP this month that people were caught in the crossfire with worsening shortages.
What the deal covers
Under the agreement, both nations will temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky through a designated safe passageway. Non-military teams from both countries will visit residents in their homes to assess needs, and anyone who wishes to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their destination of choice.
"I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine," the first lady said. An American media organization will accompany the teams to document the process — Newsmax said Friday it had been granted exclusive access.
The White House said Melania Trump initiated the effort after learning about the situation during a UN General Assembly event last month, then worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms. Ukraine's lead negotiator, human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, publicly thanked her but cautioned the operation would be "extremely challenging to implement."
Timing and reaction
The White House announced the ceasefire would begin October 29. Russian chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces would halt fire at 4 a.m. Moscow time on October 27 "in connection with the humanitarian operation near Oleshky," while Ukraine's General Staff put the start at 3:00 a.m. Kyiv time on October 27. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov thanked the first lady and confirmed the mission came up in the latest call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
The development comes two days after Putin agreed in principle to resume trilateral negotiations with Washington and Kyiv after November 10, following a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. It also follows repeated appeals for a local ceasefire to organize evacuations, and calls for action from Pope Leo XIV.
Watch: Report on Melania Trump brokering the Oleshky ceasefire ahead of trilateral peace talks
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