The White House announced a localized humanitarian pause set to begin Oct. 29 to let aid workers evacuate elderly residents from the Russian-occupied city.
United States First Lady Melania Trump has negotiated a localized humanitarian ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the occupied southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, Al Jazeera reported on Friday.
The temporary truce is scheduled to begin Thursday, Oct. 29, CBS News reported. The deal aims to halt all fighting in the city to bring in relief supplies and open a designated corridor so civilians can leave safely.
Neither the Russian nor the Ukrainian government had publicly confirmed the agreement on Friday. In an announcement released through the White House, the first lady’s office stated that she initiated the talks and served in a formal role as exclusive intermediary, working directly with leaders from both nations to set the terms.
Aid and evacuation plans for Oleshky
The agreement calls for non-military, civilian representatives from both Russia and Ukraine to coordinate on the ground in Oleshky. These teams will visit residents in their homes to check what help they need.
The first lady said an unnamed American media organization will travel alongside the Russian and Ukrainian teams to document their work.
An estimated 2,000 residents remain in Oleshky, down from a pre-war population of 24,000, according to Al Jazeera. Most of the people still living there are elderly. Melania Trump said in her statement that evacuees will receive coordinated transportation to their preferred destination in either Russia or Ukraine.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front line war city on the brink of disaster,” the first lady said in a statement released by the White House.
Conditions inside the occupied city
Russian troops captured Oleshky on the opening day of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, PBS NewsHour reported. The city sits along the Dnipro River, which separates Ukrainian military positions from the Russian occupation forces.
Conditions in the town deteriorated further in June 2023 when the Kakhovka Dam collapsed. An Associated Press investigation found the dam explosion was likely caused by Russian forces, unleashing floodwaters that inundated Oleshky and killed hundreds of residents.
Months of bombardment and isolation have left the city without running water, heat or electricity. Roads leading out of Oleshky are lined with landmines and burned vehicles, while military drones operate overhead. Food and medical supplies have grown scarce, and both warring nations have accused each other of cutting off deliveries.
Ukraine had made repeated appeals for a local truce to remove civilians from the area, but Russian authorities had previously made no commitment to allow an evacuation.
Diplomatic efforts and wider talks
Melania Trump has previously focused on the impact of the war on children. Earlier this year, she hosted a United Nations Security Council session on children in conflict and sent letters directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin to advocate for displaced youths. Her office noted that she has helped reunite 34 children taken by Russia with their families.
The Oleshky announcement comes during a broader push by the Trump administration to shift diplomacy around the conflict. The Kremlin recently confirmed that it agreed to resume American-mediated negotiations with Ukraine next month, though the two sides have not settled terms for an overall settlement, opening a path to resume Ukraine war talks.
The White House has faced political debate over its recent moves toward Moscow. Administration officials confirmed they waived certain sanctions and arranged diesel purchases from Russia, arguing the steps were needed to counter rising fuel prices caused by the war between Israel, the United States and Iran.
Ukrainian officials also reported earlier disruptions to their military Starshield satellite network, which provides crucial support for the country’s air defenses. Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy later stated that an agreement was reached to fix the system after Trump said Musk restored Ukraine’s Starlink access.
