Following an intervention by US First Lady Melania Trump, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a localised ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, the BBC reported, citing the White House.
The ceasefire is set to take effect on October 29, with the primary objective of enabling aid deliveries and helping civilians leave the war-hit city, where access to food, medicines, safe drinking water and electricity remains severely limited.
According to the White House, Melania Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to establish the terms of the ceasefire.
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Both countries subsequently confirmed the agreement, although its duration remains unclear.
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“Oleshky's remaining population comprises primarily elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” the White House said.
Melania Trump said residents wishing to leave would receive coordinated assistance and transportation to their preferred destinations in Russia or Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the agreement had been reached, adding that military officials were working out the schedule for implementing the truce.
He said arrangements would also allow residents seeking to leave Oleshky to evacuate the settlement.
Davyd Arakhamia, a Ukrainian MP and head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's parliamentary party, said an operation to unblock Oleshky and surrounding areas would begin in the near future.
The agreement comes amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the settlement, where continued fighting and restricted access have disrupted essential supplies and medical services.
Oleshky, in Ukraine's Kherson region, was captured by Russian forces in the opening days of Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The city had around 24,000 residents before the war. Ukraine estimates that approximately 6,000 people remain in Oleshky and surrounding areas, including about 200 children.
The settlement has been without gas and electricity since 2023. Residents have reported severe food and water shortages, with some resorting to eating garden weeds to survive, according to accounts cited by the BBC.
Children in the wider area are reportedly suffering from malnutrition and a lack of medical care and education.
Residents have also described a largely non-functional healthcare system, with one hospital operating only partially and opening a few days a week for critical procedures.
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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has accused Russian forces of imposing a blockade on the area. Kyiv says recent attempts to deliver supplies have failed.
The Kremlin acknowledged in September that Oleshky faced a critical situation, including shortages of food and medicine, while blaming Ukraine for the supply difficulties.
Situated between the Dnipro River and Russian forces, Oleshky remains difficult to access from Ukrainian-controlled territory.
The ceasefire adds to Melania Trump's involvement in humanitarian initiatives linked to the war.
In August 2025, she wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging greater protection for children and future generations.
She later said Putin had responded directly and that her representatives were working with his team on the return of Ukrainian children from Russia and vice versa.
The Oleshky arrangement is a localised truce, not a broader ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. Its immediate impact will depend on whether humanitarian supplies can reach residents and civilians can be evacuated safely.
The White House has not disclosed how long the ceasefire will remain in force or provided further details on the implementation of the aid operation.
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