Melania Trump Brokers Ceasefire in Occupied Ukraine’s Oleshky

Oct. 23, 2026 Destroyed buildings in Oleshky, Kherson region. 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" / Handout via REUTERS U.S. first lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire in the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and facilitate civilian evacuations, the White House said Friday. Starting next Thursday, Oct. 29, civilian leaders from Russia and Ukraine will visit the estimated 2,000 remaining residents of Oleshky to determine the level of assistance they need. Most of them are elderly, while around 50 children have also been unable to leave, according to the White House. “Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia and some to Ukraine,” Melania Trump said in a statement. The first lady noted that her intervention allowed both Russia and Ukraine to assign teams to work on the technical terms of the process, including de-mining the heavily mined roads. “All parties have worked around the clock since that moment,” she said. Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Ukrainian-controlled Kherson, has been under Russian occupation since the early weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow and Kyiv both accuse each other of blocking supplies to the population of the town, which Ukrainian forces have been trying to retake. Earlier, the Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin had discussed the situation in Oleshky with U.S. President Donald Trump and told him that Russia’s human rights commissioner was working on humanitarian efforts there. Putin also told Pope Leo in a phone call last Friday that he supported a Vatican initiative to help deliver supplies to civilians in Oleshky and was ready to cooperate on the matter. At the same time, he laid blame for the dire humanitarian situation in the town on Ukraine. The White House announcement of a localized truce comes as Trump pressures Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach an agreement with Putin to end the war. Read more about: Ukraine war , Occupied Ukraine , United States Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more U.S. Suspends Some Sanctions on Russian Oil Giant Lukoil The decision partially suspends the measures decided in October by U.S. President Donald Trump. 1 Min read Vance Threatens Sanctions, U.S. Troops in Ukraine if Putin Rejects Peace Deal “I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people,” the vice president said in an interview. 2 Min read U.S. Citizen Killed in Moscow-Held Donetsk – Russian Media Russell Bentley, 64, was known to have fought with Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine and had been given Russian nationality. 1 Min read Monument to Victims of Stalin's Famine Removed in Mariupol The Moscow-installed authorities of the port city of Mariupol, which fell to Russian forces after a devastating siege earlier in the year, took down a...