WASHINGTON -- US First Lady Melania Trump has brokered a localized cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine for the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, with Kyiv confirming preparations for an operation to establish humanitarian corridors and evacuate civilians.
The White House said on October 23 that the temporary halt in military action would begin on October 29, allowing humanitarian aid to enter the city and residents to leave through a designated safe passageway.
The announcement credited Melania Trump with working directly with the Russian and Ukrainian leadership to negotiate the arrangement, an unusual diplomatic role for a US first lady.
Humanitarian Operation
David Arakhamia, head of the Ukrainian parliament's Servant of the People faction, confirmed the planned operation in a social media post, thanking Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV for their roles in the effort.
“An operation to unblock the settlement of Oleshky and its surrounding areas will begin in the near future,” Arakhamia wrote. “Its goal is to establish permanent humanitarian corridors for the safe evacuation of civilians and the delivery of aid.”
He said a cease-fire would be reached soon to facilitate the operation, referring to the announcement by the US first lady.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, who led the negotiations on the Ukrainian side, confirmed to RFE/RL the launch of a humanitarian mission to rescue civilians in Oleshky.
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He said that Melania Trump's involvement in the process had helped get the effort "moving forward," adding that Kyiv had been trying to resolve the issue since early this year. "The negotiation process itself was, to put it mildly, difficult and protracted," Lubinets said.
He added that "the humanitarian mission itself will be carried out in several stages" and that Kyiv has already begun implementing its part of the agreement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed Melania Trump's involvement in coordinating the humanitarian operation in Oleshky, highlighting cooperation between Russian and Ukrainian officials.
“Building upon the agreements reached between Presidents [Vladimir] Putin and [Donald] Trump, and with the direct involvement of Mrs. Trump, extensive work was carried out by Yana Lantratova -- an official appointed by the president of the Russian Federation to address human rights issues -- alongside her counterpart from the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said.
Oleshky Residents Face Dire Conditions
Oleshky lies on the Russian-occupied bank of the Dnipro River, opposite the regional capital of Kherson. Before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the city had approximately 24,000 residents.
Melania Trump's office estimates that between 1,700 and 2,000 people remain, including about 50 children. Most are believed to be elderly residents who have been unable or unwilling to leave. There has been no formal demographic count since 2022.
The city has endured years of fighting, displacement, and isolation. The destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 compounded the devastation, with an estimated 90 percent of Oleshky's territory flooded.
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Residents face severe shortages of food, clean water, electricity and medical care. Melania Trump described the city as a frontline community on the brink of disaster, saying roads were mined and military attacks continued regularly.
Russian authorities do not permit independent media to enter Oleshky, making it difficult to independently establish the full extent of the humanitarian crisis.
Ukrainian officials and volunteers have told RFE/RL that civilians in the city are effectively being held hostage to Russia's military objectives in the occupied south. They argue that their presence complicates Ukrainian military operations against Russian positions in the area.
Evacuations From Oleshky
Melania Trump said civilian representatives from Russia and Ukraine would visit residents in their homes to assess their needs. Those wishing to leave would receive coordinated assistance and transportation to their preferred destinations.
“I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” she said.
Her office said the parties had worked on the technical arrangements, including demining, but did not disclose the planned routes, the number of expected evacuees, or the mechanisms for monitoring compliance with the cease-fire.
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Melania Trump said the crisis came to her attention during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
She said her representative used communications channels established during previous efforts to reunite children separated from their families during the war. According to her office, those efforts have helped reunite 34 children with their families.
President Trump praised the initiative, saying both sides were cooperating with his wife.
“She wants to see babies come back to their families and that's between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump told reporters. He said the cease-fire had been negotiated in a particularly difficult area and described his wife's work as “great.”
Zelenskyy Seeks Security Guarantees
The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Hudson Institute in Washington, where he called for renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war while warning that any settlement must prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine again.
Zelenskyy said he had spoken shortly before the event with US President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, about recent meetings and ways to advance negotiations.
He said a trilateral meeting involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia was being planned for the first half of November, potentially at the technical level, with the longer-term goal of talks between the countries' leaders.
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Trump Says Musk Has Lifted Starlink Restrictions On Ukraine While Kyiv Reports Ongoing Issues“We need these meetings, and we need diplomacy to move forward,” Zelenskyy said, adding that progress would depend on Russia's willingness to participate.
He said Ukraine was ready to meet at any time but accused Moscow of repeatedly finding reasons to delay negotiations. Zelenskyy also emphasized the need for continued American pressure on Russia and said Europe should be included in the broader discussions.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would need financial support to maintain a strong army for at least 10 years, alongside reconstruction assistance and access to advanced weapons systems.
He also said Ukraine was still waiting for previously agreed deliveries of interceptors for Patriot air-defense systems, which he described as essential as Russia continued large-scale attacks with drones and missiles.
“The most important thing is not just negotiating,” he said. “We need results.”
Starlink Restrictions Persist
Zelenskyy's comments came as he said restrictions affecting Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communications remained in place, despite reports that the problem had been resolved.
Asked about the issue outside the White House, Trump said he had not spoken to Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX operates Starlink but might contact him if the restrictions continued.
“I've heard it was fixed, but if it's not, I'll speak to him,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy told the Hudson Institute that limitations affecting Starlink and delays in interceptor deliveries were complicating Ukraine's defense, although he said Ukrainian forces continued to hold their positions and maintain military logistics.