The White House says US First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, with the truce due to begin on 29 October.
The announcement concerns Oleshky, in the Kherson region, which Russian forces seized during the opening days of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The White House described the city as being on the brink of a humanitarian disaster, with remaining residents urgently needing medical care, medicine, food and clean water. BBC News reported the announcement and its planned start date.
According to a statement carried by Al Jazeera, Trump said her representatives had worked with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the ceasefire’s terms. Civilian officials from both sides are expected to coordinate humanitarian access, while residents who want to leave would be transported to a destination of their choice.
Al Jazeera reported that Oleshky had a prewar population of about 24,000 and that roughly 2,000 people are estimated to remain. The report said the city has limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks. It also said an unidentified impartial American media organization would accompany Russian and Ukrainian teams involved in the operation.
The scope and enforceability of the arrangement remain unclear. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv had confirmed the White House announcement in the reports, and the sources establish a planned ceasefire date—not that a truce has already taken effect or that aid and evacuations have begun.