Oleshky Truce Begins Oct. 29, Leaving 2,000 Residents Waiting for Aid

A temporary ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky begins on October 29, according to a White House announcement made on Friday.

The White House stated that both Russia and Ukraine agreed to halt military action in the city to allow aid delivery and civilian evacuation. The announcement credited First Lady Melania Trump and her representative with working directly with leadership in both countries to secure the terms. The truce is designed to address a worsening food crisis reported by residents.

Melania Trump described the situation in Oleshky as dire in a written statement. She noted that the remaining population consists mostly of elderly people who require medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water. The White House said non-military teams from both nations will visit residents to arrange transport for those wishing to leave for either side of the border.

The city currently has between 1,700 and 2,000 residents, including about 50 children, according to White House figures. This number represents a sharp decline from the pre-war population of roughly 24,000. The administration also reported that approximately 90 percent of the city is flooded following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. Oleshky is located across the Dnipro River from Kherson.

Ukraine's top negotiator, David Arakhamia, confirmed the agreement on Telegram. He stated that the humanitarian operation would launch once the ceasefire took hold. Arakhamia said the deal followed a long process involving Melania Trump and Pope Leo. The Kremlin said an evacuation would take at least a few days. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced that Russian forces would stop firing from 4 a.m. local time on October 27 to support the operation.

The announcement comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and military activity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States agreed to hold technical talks in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. Zelenskyy told the Hudson Institute that he spoke with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. He added that any peace deal would require strong security guarantees and 10 years of funding for Ukraine's army.

Fighting continued on Friday in other areas. Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport briefly suspended operations due to a Ukrainian drone threat. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses downed 21 drones over two hours. The two sides also exchanged 270 prisoners each. Ukrainian acting prosecutor general Anton Kovalskyi reported that more than 19,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 762 children, have been killed since the full-scale invasion began.