US First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky. Scheduled to begin on October 29, the arrangement aims to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations through a designated safe passage. Between 1,700 and 2,000 people are estimated to remain in the southern Ukrainian city.
US First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, the White House said. The arrangement is scheduled to take effect on October 29 and aims to allow humanitarian aid into the city and help civilians evacuate safely. According to the White House statement, the ceasefire will temporarily suspend military action in Oleshky to enable relief deliveries and coordinated civilian evacuations through a designated safe passageway.
Oleshky residents face a humanitarian crisis
Melania Trump described conditions in the city as dire, saying its remaining population consisted mainly of elderly residents in urgent need of medical care, medicines, food and clean water.
Residents face limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks, she said. The White House estimates that between 1,700 and 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, including around 50 children. Before the war, the city had a population of approximately 24,000.
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The statement also said about 90% of the city was flooded following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
Under the arrangement, civilian teams from Russia and Ukraine will visit residents in their homes to assess their needs. Those wishing to leave will receive coordinated transport and assistance to reach their preferred destination, whether in Russia or Ukraine.
Melania Trump also said an American media organisation would accompany the teams and document the process to help ensure that families' wishes were respected. Newsmax, a US news outlet, reported that its cameras would have exclusive access to cover the effort.
How Melania Trump got involved
The White House said the First Lady learnt about Oleshky's plight during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York, held around the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
She said she and her representative used a communication channel established with Russia and Ukraine during earlier efforts to reunite children separated from their families. According to her statement, both countries assigned teams to work on the ceasefire's arrangements, including demining.
The development comes as US President Donald Trump continues to press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Melania Trump has previously been involved in efforts to reunite Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the conflict with their families.
(With inputs from agencies)
