White House says Melania Trump secured Oleshky ceasefire

Russia and Ukraine have both now confirmed the Oleshky humanitarian agreement announced by the White House: Russia's chief of the general staff said Russian forces will observe a silence regime on the Kherson direction from 04:00 Moscow time on October 27, and Ukraine's human rights ombudsman confirmed a humanitarian operation and ceasefire in the city on October 29.

Why it matters: Confirmation from both capitals moves the truce from a White House claim to an agreed operation, though each side's account is its own and the evacuation of the city's remaining 1,700 to 2,000 residents still has to happen on the ground.

Data as of BBC and Al Jazeera reports of October 23, 2026, read in full, reporting the White House announcement of October 23, 2026; AP copy carried by Euronews gave the October 29 start date and the White House population estimate. Updated October 23 with TASS reports of October 23, 2026, in Russian, carrying statements by Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and a Ukrainska Pravda report of October 23, 2026, in Ukrainian, carrying Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets on Telegram. Both governments have now confirmed an agreement exists; the operational details above are each side's own account of it. Developing item.

Latest: Both sides have now confirmed the agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Russia welcomes Melania Trump’s efforts and that she made a substantial contribution to agreeing the humanitarian operation, TASS reported, and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said Russian forces will cease fire on the Kherson direction and observe a silence regime from 04:00 Moscow time on October 27, with engineering reconnaissance organised and safe movement of the humanitarian column into the city ensured. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, confirmed a humanitarian operation and ceasefire in Oleshky on October 29 in three parts, a silence regime, delivery of humanitarian cargo, and free movement of civilians out of the city, and said the operation would proceed gradually and is maximally complex to carry out, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

The White House announced on Friday that First Lady Melania Trump had secured a local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky, the Russian-occupied city on the east bank of the Dnipro River opposite Kherson, with both sides to suspend military action there from October 29 so aid can enter and civilians can leave through a designated safe passage, the BBC and Al Jazeera reported. Melania Trump said in a White House statement that the situation in Oleshky was dire, with residents living with limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks, and the White House estimated that 1,700 to 2,000 of the city’s pre-war 24,000 residents remain, including about 50 children. The first lady said she initiated the talks and that she and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership on the terms, that civilian representatives from both countries would visit residents at home to assess what help they need, and that residents who wish to leave would be taken to their preferred destination in Russia or Ukraine. Neither government had commented on the announcement as of those first reports; both confirmed it later in the day, as recorded above.

White House says Melania Trump secured Oleshky ceasefire

Sources