Russia and Ukraine agree to local ceasefire in Oleshky from 29 October to deliver aid

The office of US First Lady Melania Trump said that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to temporarily halt all hostilities in Oleshky, Kherson region, from 29 October to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and prepare for the evacuation of civilians through a safe corridor.

As Censor.NET reports, the White House announced this.

Agreements between the parties

According to Melania Trump, she secured an agreement on a local ceasefire covering only Oleshky. Both countries, the statement says, agreed to temporarily halt all military operations in the town to allow humanitarian aid in and prepare for the evacuation of civilians.

The first lady claims that she and her representative worked directly with the Russian and Ukrainian leadership on the terms of the agreement. According to the statement, she initiated discussions with both countries and agreed on the objectives, technical procedures, timelines and arrangements, acting in a "formal role as the exclusive mediator".

"The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a frontline town on the brink of catastrophe. The remaining population consists mainly of elderly people who urgently need medical care, medicines, food and clean water," Melania Trump said.

According to her, the town’s residents have limited access to electricity, live amid mined roads and face regular shelling. "It was absolutely clear that without my intervention, delivering humanitarian aid to the town and evacuating elderly people would have been impossible," she added.

How the parties are expected to proceed

The statement says that non-military civilian leaders from both countries will jointly visit Oleshky residents in their homes and assess what assistance they need. Those wishing to leave are promised coordinated support and transport to their chosen destination.

"I expect some will want to go to Russia and others to Ukraine," the first lady said.

Melania Trump also said that she had enlisted an "impartial American media organisation" to accompany and document the work of the Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground. According to her, this should help ensure that each family’s wishes are respected. The statement does not name the organisation.

How the initiative came about

The first lady was informed about the critical situation in Oleshky during a private conversation at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York, held during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. She claims that she and her representative immediately used a communication channel with Russia and Ukraine established during six previous reunifications involving 34 children and their families. According to her, both countries "promptly appointed teams" to coordinate complex procedures, including mine clearance, and all parties are working around the clock.

Humanitarian crisis in Oleshky

In late March 2026, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian side over the humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson region.
It is known that around 2,000 civilians remain cut off from the outside world in occupied Oleshky.
The Regional Military Administration also reported that the bodies of the deceased remain unburied for weeks, while logistics have been completely destroyed. The occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson region is under a complete humanitarian blockade.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is trying to obtain information about the situation in occupied Oleshky, Kherson region.
Ombudsman Lubinets said that residents of Oleshky are being prepared for evacuation.
Earlier, Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky City Military Administration, reported that people are starving in occupied Oleshky, Kherson region, due to a lack of supplies, and some families have already begun eating dogs.
In late September 2026, around 4,000 kg of food was successfully delivered by drones to a hundred locations across the city.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is preparing staged videos in Oleshky. Local residents will be forced to say on camera that they are happy, well fed, and grateful to the Russian occupiers.