US First Lady Melania Trump has helped broker a local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky, the White House has announced, with both sides subsequently confirming an agreement to suspend hostilities to allow humanitarian assistance and civilian evacuations.
The agreement provides for a temporary cessation of fighting from 29 October, according to the White House. The proposed arrangement is intended to establish a safe corridor through which aid can reach the town and civilians can leave the area.
“People in Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads and have to endure regular military attacks,” Melania Trump said in a White House statement. She said she had worked with representatives of both sides to establish the terms of the locally restricted ceasefire.
Oleshky, a small town on the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, has been under Russian occupation and cut off from supplies for months. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia is holding about 2,000 people there. Aid organisations have repeatedly raised concerns about the humanitarian conditions, as residents remain trapped in an area affected by ongoing fighting.
The Ukrainian-controlled regional capital, Kherson, lies just nine kilometres away, with the front line separating the two locations.
Both sides confirmed the ceasefire after the White House announcement. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, outlined the terms in a video message published online, saying: “According to our agreement, firstly, a ceasefire will be observed; secondly, humanitarian aid will be delivered to Oleshky; and thirdly, civilians will be allowed free movement out of Oleshky.”
Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, also announced a suspension of military activity in the area in connection with the humanitarian operation. He said Russian forces would cease fire along the Kherson axis from 4am Moscow time on Tuesday.
Gerasimov added that Russian forces would conduct technical reconnaissance and ensure the safe passage of the humanitarian convoy into the town. His statement set out Russia’s role in facilitating the operation, while the Ukrainian announcement emphasised the ceasefire, delivery of assistance and freedom of movement for civilians.
The arrangement comes as Oleshky faces a worsening humanitarian crisis, with residents isolated from regular supplies and exposed to military attacks. The proposed corridor is intended to enable humanitarian organisations to bring assistance into the town and provide a route out for civilians caught in the conflict zone.
The ceasefire is limited to the area around Oleshky and is linked specifically to the planned humanitarian operation. Both Moscow and Kyiv have confirmed the arrangement, which is intended to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations to proceed.
