A local ceasefire mediated by Melania Trump takes effect in Oleshky — Anadolu Agency
In Oleshky, on the left bank of Kherson Oblast, temporarily occupied by Russia, the aggressor state, a local ceasefire for the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians took effect on October 27. As reported by Anadolu Agency, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said the arrangement was to begin at 03:00 Kyiv time.
Mediation by the US first lady
The White House said in a press release that US First Lady Melania Trump acted as the “exclusive mediator” in reaching the local agreement. According to the US administration, the humanitarian situation in Oleshky has deteriorated: residents are experiencing shortages of food, medicines and clean water, have limited access to electricity, and face mined roads and regular military attacks.
Melania Trump said that without her intervention, delivering aid to the city and evacuating elderly people would have been impossible. Before the war, about 24,000 people lived in Oleshky, while an estimated 1,700–2,000 residents remain there now, mostly elderly people.
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Aid and evacuation
Russian troops occupied Oleshky in 2022. Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced the introduction of a “silence regime” in the Kherson direction and engineering reconnaissance to ensure the safe passage of the humanitarian convoy. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said it was ready to observe the local ceasefire for the delivery of aid to residents and the safe evacuation of civilians.
According to the White House, civilian representatives of both sides are to assess residents’ needs. Those wishing to leave are promised coordinated transport to destinations in Ukraine or Russia, and the process will be documented by a US media organization. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the duration of the operation is still unknown, but it may last several days.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam in June 2023, Oleshky and other settlements in the region experienced extensive flooding. Ukraine and Russia mutually accused each other of deliberately destroying the dam.
