First Lady Melania Trump Secures Localized Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire for Oleshky: Truce for Aid and Evacuations Starts October 29
Washington — The Office of the First Lady announced on October 23 that First Lady Melania Trump has secured a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for the southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky. Both nations agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway. The localized ceasefire will begin on October 29, 2026.
"The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky's remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water," the First Lady said. "The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible."
According to the statement, the First Lady and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership, in her formal role as Exclusive Intermediary, to define the agreement's objectives, technical procedures, timing, processes, and terms. Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will visit Oleshky residents in their homes to determine the assistance each family requires, and residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination — some to Russia, and some to Ukraine, she said. She also said she has secured an impartial American media organization to accompany and document the Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground, to help ensure each family's wishes are faithfully respected.
The statement said the exigent circumstances of Oleshky came to the First Lady's attention during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York City during the 81st United Nations General Assembly. She and her representative then leveraged the communication channel established with Russia and Ukraine through the previous six reunifications of 34 children, and both nations promptly assigned teams to coordinate the complex mechanics involved, including demining. The White House said Oleshky sits in southern Ukraine, directly across the Dnipro River from Kherson; before the war roughly 24,000 people lived there, while an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 residents remain today, primarily older people unable to leave, along with approximately 50 children. The city has remained on the front line since the war began, and after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam about 90 percent of its territory was flooded.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：第一夫人梅拉尼娅（前排左）10月19日在华盛顿白宫玫瑰园出席妇女健康行政令签署仪式，与特朗普总统同席。白宫官方照片，摄影 Andrea Hanks，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / First Lady Melania Trump (front row, left) at the October 19 signing of a women's health executive order in the White House Rose Garden, seated beside President Trump. Official White House photo by Andrea Hanks, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-23First Lady Melania Trump Secures Localized Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire for Oleshky: Truce for Aid and Evacuations Starts October 29This story
- 2026-10-24Follow-Up: Kremlin Confirms Oleshky Ceasefire Deal; Russian and Ukrainian Militaries Working on Implementation Dates
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