For the few residents left in Oleshky, a small town on the Dnipro River where elderly people now struggle for food, medicine and clean water, the guns may soon fall silent, at least for a while. The White House said on Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the town starting on October 29.
According to the White House, the truce was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, who with her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to set its terms. Both sides agreed to halt all military action in Oleshky so that humanitarian aid can enter and a civilian evacuation can be prepared through a designated safe corridor, the statement said.
Oleshky has been occupied by Russian forces since February 2022. The White House said its population has fallen from about 24,000 before the war to between 1,700 and 2,000, mostly elderly people and around 50 children. About 90 percent of the town was flooded after the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed, and residents have reported a worsening food crisis.
"The situation in Oleshky is dire," Melania Trump said, describing it as a front-line city on the brink of disaster. During the ceasefire, non-military teams from both countries will visit residents at home and arrange transport for those who wish to leave, to either Russia or Ukraine.
The move comes as President Donald Trump presses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. For Oleshky's remaining residents, the immediate question is whether this brief pause can lead them to safety.