White House Announces Ceasefire Agreement in Russian-Controlled Oleshky

Key summary

The White House announced on Friday that First Lady Melania Trump helped facilitate a temporary ceasefire in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Oleshky, set to begin on October 27. The agreement aims to allow humanitarian aid entry and civilian evacuation through designated safe corridors. Both nations agreed to halt military operations temporarily to enable aid delivery and prepare for evacuations. David Arakamya, Ukraine's chief negotiator, stated humanitarian operations will commence after the ceasefire takes effect. The Kremlin expressed support, noting President Putin discussed details with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and that Moscow plans to implement the ceasefire within 2-3 days. Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Kyiv-controlled Kherson, has a remaining population of approximately 1,700 to 2,000 people, mostly elderly, with about 50 children, down from 24,000 pre-war. About 90% of the city is flooded following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. A team of unnamed American media representatives will accompany non-military teams to document the process.