Russia and Ukraine have agreed a temporary, localised ceasefire in Oleshky, a southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation since February 2022, to allow humanitarian aid in and civilians out, the White House said on Friday.
US First Lady Melania Trump was credited with brokering the pause. “The situation in Oleshky is dire… without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible,” she said, according to Al Jazeera.
Under the arrangement, non-military teams from both countries would visit residents and arrange transport for those wishing to leave, to either Russia or Ukraine.
The start date is not settled
The two filings give different dates. Al Jazeera reported a senior Ukrainian official saying the ceasefire would begin on 27 October, while Hiru News reported a start of 29 October.
The gap appears to reflect genuine uncertainty rather than a reporting error: Al Jazeera quoted a Kremlin spokesman saying the Russian military was still “working on coordinating the timing.” Russia has not publicly confirmed the agreement.
Hiru News also reported that Ukraine’s chief negotiator, David Arakhamia, said a ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor for food distribution and evacuation would begin shortly. Al Jazeera’s account does not mention him.
A city largely emptied
About 24,000 people lived in Oleshky before the war. Al Jazeera puts the remaining population at roughly 2,000; Hiru News gives a range of 1,700 to 2,000. Both describe those left as predominantly elderly, and in urgent need of food, medicine, medical care and clean water.
