Russia and Ukraine establish local ceasefire in Oleshky under US mediation

On 23 October, Russia and Ukraine announced they had reached an agreement on a localized ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in Kherson Oblast that has faced a worsening humanitarian crisis. The deal was negotiated by Melania Trump, the US First Lady, who acted in a formal capacity as "Exclusive Intermediary" to align both sides on objectives, procedures and terms.

The start date of the truce has been reported differently by various sources. The Moscow Times stated the ceasefire would begin on 27 October, while the Kyiv Independent and the White House indicated 29 October. The agreement establishes humanitarian corridors to deliver aid and allow civilians to evacuate freely. Residents will receive coordinated support and transportation to their chosen destination, whether in Russia or Ukraine. Melania Trump emphasized that negotiating teams worked intensively on technical details, including the removal of landmines from heavily mined roads.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, confirmed the agreement and praised Melania Trump and her team for coordinating between the two sides. However, he cautioned that implementation would be gradual and "extremely difficult."

Separately, President Zelensky announced that representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States have agreed to hold technical-level talks in Abu Dhabi during the first half of November, with discussions potentially occurring in Switzerland instead. Zelensky expressed hope that this meeting would lead to talks between the three countries' leaders. Previous US-facilitated negotiations broke down in February without achieving meaningful progress toward ending the conflict, which has continued for four and a half years.