Trump Administration Confirms Oleshky Ceasefire for October 27

The White House confirmed on Friday that Russia and Ukraine will halt military operations in Oleshky on October 27. The truce aims to facilitate the delivery of aid and the evacuation of approximately 2,000 civilians from the southern Ukrainian city, which has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. Residents report severe shortages of food, water, and electricity, with some surviving on boiled grass and weeds.

Melania Trump’s office brokered the arrangement, with her representative working directly with leaders from both nations. The first lady stated that residents choosing to evacuate would receive coordinated transportation to their preferred destination. She noted that some civilians intend to go to Russia, while others plan to return to Ukraine. The deal follows weeks of pressure from Ukrainian officials, who used drones to airdrop emergency supplies into the town.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman, said the mission will include demining roads, delivering food, and evacuating civilians. He told Reuters on Friday that officials intend for the effort to go beyond a one-off event and extend beyond Oleshky alone. Lubinets previously stated on October 18 that an agreement was near, though he did not mention the first lady’s role at that time. Ukrainian officials had earlier claimed that Russia rejected previous calls for a humanitarian pause.

Separately, Ukrainian forces report that the Starlink satellite network remains restricted despite claims by President Donald Trump that Elon Musk had lifted the limits. The slowdown began last week after Trump and Musk publicly criticized Zelenskyy over strikes on Russian oil refineries. Ukrainian officials said internet speeds remained capped at 100 miles per hour throughout Friday. Serhii Beskrestnov, a military advisor to Zelenskyy, said no lifting of the restrictions had been observed.

The speed cap prevents Ukrainian military equipment, including drones, from maintaining connectivity at high speeds. This has hampered offensive drone operations and efforts to intercept incoming Russian attacks. Trump told reporters on Friday that he would speak to Musk if the issue persisted. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized to Trump in a phone call that Ukraine needs full access to the service, according to Downing Street.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have deepened due to the Starlink issue and temporary suspensions in intelligence sharing. These strains followed the US lifting sanctions on Russia and importing Russian diesel to lower domestic energy prices before the midterm elections. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated on Friday that three tankers are heading to the US, with Russian companies expected to supply 500,000 metric tonnes in October.

Russia launched another overnight barrage on Ukraine on Friday, even as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said trilateral talks are expected to resume in Abu Dhabi in November. Russia’s demands include a Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern territory, a drastic reduction in its military size, and neutral status that would rule out NATO membership. President Vladimir Putin told state television late on Thursday that the lands lost by Kyiv are Russia’s historical lands and that Moscow would achieve all objectives of its full-scale invasion.