Melania Trump Brokers Oleshky Truce as Up to 2,000 Remain
(MENAFN) A localized ceasefire in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Oleshky, mediated by US first lady Melania Trump, took effect at 0100GMT on Tuesday, opening a window for humanitarian aid convoys and civilian evacuations.
The White House confirmed in an official press release on Friday that the first lady acted as the “Exclusive Intermediary” in securing the arrangement.
The truce arrives as conditions in Oleshky, a frontline town on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, grow more desperate. Food, medicine and clean water are running short, according to the White House. Residents also face limited electricity, mined roads and repeated military attacks.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster,” Melania Trump said. “It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”
Moscow moved first. Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced a “regime of silence” in the Kherson direction beginning at 4 am Moscow time on Oct. 27 to support humanitarian operations.
“To ensure the safety of the population and the delivery of essential humanitarian supplies, engineering reconnaissance will be conducted, and the safe passage of a humanitarian convoy to the settlement of Oleshky, Kherson Region, will be facilitated,” the Russian Defense Ministry quoted him as saying.
Ukraine’s General Staff said its own localized ceasefire would begin at 3 am Kyiv time the same day, covering aid deliveries to residents and the safe, unhindered evacuation of civilians.
Under the deal, civilian representatives from both countries will assess residents’ needs. Those who want to leave will be given coordinated transport to destinations in either country, and a US media organization will accompany the teams to document the process, the White House said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was unclear how long the operation would last but that it could run for several days.
The truce comes as Moscow and Kyiv continue to blame each other for the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, which Russian forces captured in 2022. The city had about 24,000 residents before the war. Estimates now put the population at just 1,700 to 2,000, many of them older people unable to leave.
The White House confirmed in an official press release on Friday that the first lady acted as the “Exclusive Intermediary” in securing the arrangement.
The truce arrives as conditions in Oleshky, a frontline town on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, grow more desperate. Food, medicine and clean water are running short, according to the White House. Residents also face limited electricity, mined roads and repeated military attacks.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster,” Melania Trump said. “It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”
Moscow moved first. Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced a “regime of silence” in the Kherson direction beginning at 4 am Moscow time on Oct. 27 to support humanitarian operations.
“To ensure the safety of the population and the delivery of essential humanitarian supplies, engineering reconnaissance will be conducted, and the safe passage of a humanitarian convoy to the settlement of Oleshky, Kherson Region, will be facilitated,” the Russian Defense Ministry quoted him as saying.
Ukraine’s General Staff said its own localized ceasefire would begin at 3 am Kyiv time the same day, covering aid deliveries to residents and the safe, unhindered evacuation of civilians.
Under the deal, civilian representatives from both countries will assess residents’ needs. Those who want to leave will be given coordinated transport to destinations in either country, and a US media organization will accompany the teams to document the process, the White House said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was unclear how long the operation would last but that it could run for several days.
The truce comes as Moscow and Kyiv continue to blame each other for the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, which Russian forces captured in 2022. The city had about 24,000 residents before the war. Estimates now put the population at just 1,700 to 2,000, many of them older people unable to leave.
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