Ukraine Warupdated 45m ago3 min read
Melania Trump Brokers Localized Ceasefire In Oleshky For Humanitarian Aid And Civilian Evacuation
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Melania Trump brokered a localized ceasefire in Oleshky to enable aid and evacuations. The ceasefire begins on October 29 to permit aid delivery and evacuations.
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Ceasefire for Oleshky
The White House said First Lady Melania Trump brokered a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians.
The White House said the truce would begin on Oct. 29, and Melania Trump described Oleshky as “a front-line war city on the brink of disaster” in a statement.
The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was grateful to the first lady for helping organise the Oleshky mission, while the White House said there was no immediate confirmation from Ukraine.
The White House said Melania Trump initiated the discussions and that she and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the ceasefire.
Yonhap reported that the localized ceasefire was scheduled to begin Oct. 29 and that both countries agreed to suspend military operations in the city to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies and establish a safe passageway for residents seeking evacuation.
Humanitarian corridor details
The White House said the ceasefire agreement would temporarily halt all military action in Oleshky to allow the entry of humanitarian aid and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway.
Melania Trump said in the statement, “Oleshky is a frontline war city on the brink of disaster,” and she added that Oleshky’s remaining population was comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water.
The White House said non-military, civilian leaders from both countries would work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, said in a video message posted online that under the agreement “first a ceasefire will be put in place; second, humanitarian aid will be delivered to Oleshky; and third, civilians will be allowed to move freely out of Oleshky.”
AP reported that Russia’s chief of the general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, said Russian forces “will cease fire on the Kherson axis” starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday Moscow time in connection with the humanitarian operation near Oleshky.
Stakes and implementation
The White House said the situation in Oleshky was dire and that urgent shortages included medical supplies, food, clean water and electricity, while it said the ceasefire would allow civilian representatives to assess humanitarian needs and coordinate transportation for those wishing to evacuate. Yonhap reported that Oleshky had a pre-war population of approximately 24,000, while it said an estimated 1,700-2,000 residents remain, primarily elderly people, along with around 50 children. BBC reported that Oleshky was home to 24,000 people before Russia’s full-scale invasion, and it said Ukraine estimates that some 6,000 people remain in the city and its surrounding areas, including 200 children.
The BBC said Davyd Arakhamia later told the BBC that “an operation to unblock the settlement of Oleshky and its surroundings will begin in the near future,” while it also said no date or time had been announced by Kyiv yet. AP reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “those who want to leave it would be able to do so,” and he declined to provide specifics on how long the evacuation would last, saying only it would likely take several days.