Melania Trump-brokered ceasefire takes effect in Russian-occupied Oleshky

A localized ceasefire mediated by first lady Melania Trump took effect around the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, opening the way for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of up to 2,000 trapped civilians.

A localized ceasefire brokered by first lady Melania Trump took effect early Tuesday around the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, aimed at allowing humanitarian convoys in and civilians out.

"The ceasefire has begun," Melania Trump said, adding that its details had been confirmed by Russia's chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov. The truce took effect at 3 a.m. Kyiv time, two days earlier than the Oct. 29 start the White House had announced last week.

Both sides holding

The Dnipro River at Kherson (file photo)

Gerasimov said Russian forces had halted fire on the Kherson axis and would allow a humanitarian convoy safe passage after engineering reconnaissance. Ukraine's Marine Corps said that "as of 9 a.m., the enemy is observing the ceasefire," and Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said Kyiv was honoring its commitments.

Up to 2,000 civilians trapped

Oleshky, on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River opposite Ukrainian-held Kherson city, has been under Russian control since the first days of the February 2022 invasion. Of its roughly 24,000 prewar residents, the White House estimates 1,700 to 2,000 remain, including elderly people and about 50 children, facing acute shortages of food and medicine.

Lubinets negotiated the deal with his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, and said the operation would proceed in stages. Residents will be able to choose whether to evacuate to Ukrainian-held territory or to Russia, according to the White House, though President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia could manipulate demining to steer evacuees toward Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the localized truce does not amount to a broader halt to the war.

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