First Lady of the USA Melania Trump reportedly secured a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in a specific area in the occupied city of Oleshky. This was stated in a White House announcement. Subsequently, the temporary ceasefire in Oleshky was also announced by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian General Staff.
According to estimates by the Ukrainian government, between two to six thousand civilians are trapped there in blockade and suffering from hunger.
The frontline city has been cut off from supplies of food and medicine for many months.
Earlier, the BBC spoke with residents of Russia-occupied Oleshky, who described how they were malnourished, making soup from weeds, and how dangerous it was to leave the city due to mined roads.
On Friday, Tetyana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military Civil Administration, told the BBC that she was not yet aware of the declared ceasefire and had received no instructions regarding evacuation.
Olena (name changed), a resident of the occupied city who is still there, told the BBC that she had also not heard about the ceasefire or the possibility of leaving. She said that people in the city are still being blown up by mines.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, who negotiated with Melania Trump from the Ukrainian side, stated that the rescue operation in Oleshky was maximally difficult to implement.
“Under our agreement, first – a silence regime will be ensured. Second – humanitarian aid will be delivered to Oleshky. Third – free movement of civilians from Oleshky will be ensured,” he said in his video address on Telegram.
When the ceasefire will begin
Melania Trump reported that the Ukrainian and Russian sides have agreed to temporarily stop all hostilities in Oleshky to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and prepare for the evacuation of people through a corridor. The ceasefire was initially reported to start next Thursday, October 29.
Later, Russian military officials stated that they would implement a “ceasefire regime in the Kherson direction from 4:00 (Moscow time) on October 27.” This was announced by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov.
The ceasefire on October 27 was also confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“To conduct a humanitarian operation in the temporarily occupied Oleshky, Kherson region, Ukraine is initiating a ceasefire in a designated area starting at 3:00 a.m. on October 27, Kyiv time,” the statement reads.
“The Ukrainian Defense Forces are doing everything possible to assist the residents of Oleshky and will make maximum efforts to ensure the safety and rescue of our fellow citizens,” added the General Staff.
According to Gerasimov, for the safety of people and the delivery of goods, an engineering reconnaissance will be conducted and the passage of a humanitarian convoy will be organized.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the evacuation process could take several days: “I will not make any predictions now, but it is certainly at least a few days.”
According to him, Russia welcomes the efforts of Melania Trump, who has a “coordinating role in organizing the humanitarian mission.”
Peskov noted that significant work was done by Duma deputy and human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart.
“The situation in Oleshky is critical. This frontline city is on the brink of disaster. The remaining population consists mainly of elderly people who urgently need medical help, medication, food, and clean water,” said Melania Trump, as quoted by the White House press service.
Oleshky is trapped due to geography and war.
The city is located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, with Kherson on the right. In a straight line, they are nine kilometers apart, but now they’re divided by the front line.
Kherson is controlled by Ukraine, while Russian forces have occupied Oleshky since 2022.
The city is cut off by the Dnipro River and destroyed bridges to the north and west, with dangerous or impassable roads from the south and east.
Previously, calls to help the people in Oleshky were made by the Pope, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, and a vice-president of the European Parliament who even announced a hunger strike over this.
How it will work
Trump said she learned about Oleshky during a private conversation at the UN General Assembly.
“Oleshky residents have limited access to electricity, live amidst mined roads, and regularly suffer from military attacks. It was quite evident that without my intervention, delivering humanitarian aid to the city and evacuating the elderly would be impossible,” said Melania Trump, adding that she, as a mediator, initiated negotiations and agreed on technical procedures and timelines.
According to her, she worked with the leadership of Russia and Ukraine.
Melania Trump stated that civilian leaders from both countries, not associated with the military, will visit the residents of Oleshky.
Currently, roads to Oleshky by land exist only from the side controlled by Russian forces. From the territory controlled by Ukraine, the bridges have been destroyed.
For now, it is unclear from exactly which side the humanitarian corridors will enter Oleshky. It is likely to be from the territory controlled by Russia.
She also stated that an independent American media organization will accompany and document the work of the Russian and Ukrainian teams in Oleshky.
Those who wish to evacuate will be provided with support and transport, said the First Lady of the United States.
“I expect some people will want to go to Russia, while others – to Ukraine,” Melania said.
Melania’s statement did not mention how the issue of mined areas would be resolved.
Attempting to leave Oleshky or deliver food to the city is to risk life on the “road of death” due to mined areas, local residents previously told the BBC.
After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, approximately 90% of the city’s territory was flooded.
Before the full-scale Russian invasion, about 24,000 people lived in Oleshky. It was fertile land where many vegetables and fruits were grown.
The head of the “Servant of the People” faction and member of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, Davyd Arakhamia, said that the “operation to unblock” Oleshky and its surroundings will start soon.
He noted that permanent humanitarian corridors must be created for the safe evacuation of people and the delivery of aid.
“This was a lengthy process, involving many people at different political levels. We particularly want to highlight the role of the Pope and the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump,” Arakhamia stated on social media.
Earlier, the Kremlin stated that they are “working to overcome the humanitarian crisis in the city of Oleshky”.
Collage: Informator
