Oleshky Truce Set for Oct. 29

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the city of Oleshky, effective October 29, according to a White House announcement on Friday. The arrangement is designed to halt military operations long enough for humanitarian aid to reach residents and to prepare a civilian evacuation route. The White House credited First Lady Melania Trump with securing the agreement through direct negotiations with both governments.

Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Kherson, currently holds between 1,700 and 2,000 residents, including approximately 50 children. This represents a sharp decline from the pre-war population of roughly 24,000. The city suffers from severe flooding after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, which submerged about 90 percent of the area. Melania Trump described the situation as dire, noting that the remaining population consists mostly of elderly individuals requiring medical care, food, and clean water.

Under the terms of the deal, non-military teams from both nations will enter the city to visit residents and arrange transportation for those wishing to leave for either side of the border. A designated safe passage will be established to facilitate the movement of civilians and supply convoys. The White House statement indicated that the pause in fighting is localized to this specific area to enable the humanitarian operation.

Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia confirmed the agreement on Telegram, stating that the humanitarian operation would commence once the ceasefire takes hold. He noted that the accord followed a lengthy process involving both Melania Trump and Pope Leo. The Kremlin echoed these sentiments, praising Trump's efforts and indicating that work is underway to improve conditions in the city. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov specified that Russian forces will cease firing from 4 a.m. local time on October 27 to support the preparations.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that technical-level talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled for Abu Dhabi in the first half of November. He revealed that he had spoken with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff after their recent meeting with Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy emphasized that any final peace deal must include strong security guarantees and ten years of funding for the Ukrainian army.

Recent weeks have seen increased scrutiny of U.S. involvement in the conflict, with criticism from European allies and members of both major political parties in Congress. President Donald Trump previously agreed with Putin to import diesel and announced a ceasefire on energy attacks, though Russian strikes on energy infrastructure have continued. Additionally, Zelenskyy stated on October 14 that SpaceX had restricted Starlink service, a move Ukrainian officials say hampers their drone defense and strike capabilities.

Fighting continued on Friday despite the upcoming truce. Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport briefly suspended operations due to a Ukrainian drone threat, and Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defense systems downed 21 drones over the capital in two hours. The two sides also exchanged 270 prisoners each. Anton Kovalskyi, Ukraine's acting prosecutor general, reported that more than 19,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 762 children, have been killed since the full-scale invasion began.