Washington DC: US First Lady Melania Trump has brokered a localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the war-hit Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations, the White House announced on Friday.
The ceasefire is scheduled to begin on October 29. Under the arrangement, military action in the area will temporarily halt to allow humanitarian supplies to reach residents and enable civilians to leave through a designated safe passageway.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster,” Melania Trump said in a White House statement, highlighting the urgent need for medical care, medicines, food and clean water.
The first lady said she and her representative had worked directly with senior Russian and Ukrainian officials to agree on the terms, timing and procedures for the operation. She said discussions began after the humanitarian situation in Oleshky was brought to her attention during a private meeting at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York, held alongside the United Nations General Assembly.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, welcomed the agreement but cautioned that implementing it would be difficult.
Under the plan, civilian representatives from both countries will visit residents in their homes to assess their needs. Those wishing to leave will receive coordinated assistance and transport to their preferred destinations in Russia or Ukraine.
Lubinets said the operation would be carried out in stages, adding that he would keep the Ukrainian public informed about its progress.
Russia also confirmed plans for a temporary halt in fighting to facilitate the humanitarian operation. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces would suspend fire on the Kherson front and conduct engineering reconnaissance to ensure safe passage for a humanitarian convoy.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was grateful to Melania Trump for her involvement. He added that the effort had been discussed during a recent telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
Melania Trump also said an unnamed American media organisation would accompany the Russian and Ukrainian teams to document the operation and help ensure that families' wishes were respected.
Located in southern Ukraine across the Dnipro River from Kherson, Oleshky had a pre-war population of approximately 24,000. Estimates suggest only 1,700 to 2,000 people remain, most of them elderly, along with around 50 children.
The city was captured by Russian forces in February 2022, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Subsequent fighting damaged buildings and infrastructure, while the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 flooded parts of the region.
Residents have faced shortages of food and medical supplies, damaged infrastructure, mined roads and continuing military attacks. The lack of reliable electricity, heating and running water has further worsened conditions as winter approaches.
Ukraine has repeatedly called for a local ceasefire to facilitate civilian evacuations. Under international humanitarian law, Russia, as the occupying power, has obligations towards civilians in the territory under its control.
The ceasefire initiative follows Melania Trump's earlier efforts to reunite children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war with their families.
She has previously written to Putin about the issue and worked through communication channels established during six earlier reunification efforts involving 34 children, according to her statement.
US President Donald Trump praised his wife's work, saying her focus was on helping children and bringing them back to their parents.
The latest initiative comes amid strained relations between Washington and Kyiv as the Trump administration presses Ukraine to reach a settlement with Russia. Trump has pursued renewed diplomatic engagement with Moscow while questions remain over the future of US military and technological support for Ukraine.
The proposed ceasefire in Oleshky represents a localised humanitarian arrangement rather than a broader end to the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Its success will depend on whether the agreed pause in fighting, aid deliveries and civilian evacuations can be implemented safely.