Russia and Ukraine have implemented a localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Both sides confirmed that the temporary truce took effect at 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday, following a mediation effort led by US First Lady Melania Trump.
Humanitarian Relief for Trapped Residents
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces halted shelling in the Kherson sector to prepare for the aid operation. Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets also confirmed Kyiv’s participation in the agreement.
“As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is honoring its commitments,” Lubinets wrote on Facebook. However, independent verification regarding whether active fighting had decreased was not immediately available.
Ukrainian and American estimates indicate that approximately 2,000 residents, including up to 50 children, remain trapped in Oleshky. The town had a population of around 24,000 before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Situated across the Dnipro River from Ukrainian-controlled Kherson, Oleshky was captured by Russian troops early in the war and sustained severe flooding after the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023.
The United Nations reported that civilians in the town face severe shortages of essential food and medicine, while landmines and ongoing drone strikes make evacuation extremely dangerous. Former residents told news agency AFP that those remaining have faced extreme hunger, occasionally surviving on garden produce or hunting pigeons. A former resident named Olga, who kept in contact with families in the town, told AFP that people had run out of basic staples like flour and had forgotten what bread was like.
Agreement Terms and Continued Attacks Elsewhere
The agreement was reached after Melania Trump held discussions with civilian negotiators from Ukraine and Russia, alongside briefings from United Nations officials. Under the framework, medical personnel, food, clean water, and pharmaceuticals are scheduled to enter Oleshky prior to opening evacuation corridors.
“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” Melania Trump said when announcing the deal.
Neither party provided details on who would monitor the truce, and conflicting accounts remain regarding its duration, with one report suggesting it could last through Saturday. Ukraine has accused Russian forces of preventing civilians from leaving, a charge that Moscow denies.
Despite the localized pause in fighting around Oleshky, Russian missile strikes continued in other parts of Ukraine. Explosions were heard in Kyiv shortly after the truce began, damaging the Southern Bridge and affecting metro infrastructure. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that traffic across the bridge was suspended following the strikes. The attack followed strikes a day earlier that killed at least one person and injured 10 others in Kyiv, with additional casualties reported in Pavlohrad and Kharkiv.
In response to the continued bombardments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote, “It is important that the world sees that Russia is showing nothing but a desire to kill and continue waging war.” The localized agreement comes ahead of planned US-mediated peace talks involving Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow expected in November.
