Oleshky Ceasefire Begins Oct. 29 as Population Stands at 2,000

A temporary truce in the Russian occupied city of Oleshky is set to begin on Oct. 29. The White House announced the agreement on Friday, attributing the arrangement to direct negotiations led by Melania Trump. The pause in hostilities is designed to open a corridor for humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation.

According to the White House, both Russia and Ukraine will halt military operations in the city to allow non-military teams to visit residents. These teams will assist in arranging transport for civilians wishing to leave for either side of the front line. The city sits across the Dnipro River from Kherson.

Melania Trump described the current conditions in Oleshky as dire in a White House statement. She noted that the remaining population consists primarily of elderly individuals requiring medical care, food, and clean water. The White House stated that between 1,700 and 2,000 people currently remain in the city, including approximately 50 children. This figure is a sharp decline from the pre-war population of roughly 24,000.

The White House also reported that 90 percent of Oleshky is flooded following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia confirmed the humanitarian operation would commence once the ceasefire takes effect. He stated that the accord resulted from a lengthy process involving both Melania Trump and Pope Leo.

The Kremlin indicated that the evacuation process would require several days. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Pope Leo by telephone last week that he was prepared to cooperate on the issue. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced that Russian forces will cease firing from 4 a.m. local time on Oct. 27 to support the upcoming operation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that technical level talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled for Abu Dhabi in early November. Zelenskyy told the Hudson Institute that he spoke with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff following their meeting with Putin. He emphasized that any final peace deal must include strong security guarantees and ten years of funding for the Ukrainian army.

Fighting continued across the region on Friday. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport temporarily suspended operations due to a Ukrainian drone threat. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defenses shot down 21 drones targeting the capital within two hours. The two sides also exchanged 270 prisoners each. Acting prosecutor general Anton Kovalskyi stated that more than 19,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the invasion began, a total that includes 762 children.