World News 24 October 2026 01:12 (UTC +04:00)
Photo: Melania Trump/X
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 24. First Lady Melania Trump has secured an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to establish a localized ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, allowing humanitarian aid deliveries and preparations for civilian evacuations through a designated safe passage.
According to the official White House website, the ceasefire is scheduled to take effect on October 29, 2026.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. The city is a front-line war zone on the brink of disaster,” Melania Trump said, noting that most remaining residents are elderly people in urgent need of medical care, medicine, food and clean water. She added that residents face limited electricity, mined roads and regular military attacks.
According to the statement, Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to agree on the terms of the ceasefire. Acting as an exclusive intermediary, she coordinated the agreement’s objectives, timing and operational arrangements.
Civilian representatives from both countries will visit residents to assess their needs. Those wishing to leave will receive assistance and transportation to their preferred destinations in either Russia or Ukraine, Trump said.
She also announced that an impartial American media organization would accompany and document the teams’ work to help ensure that families’ wishes are respected.
Trump said she learned about the situation in Oleshky during a private discussion at her “Fostering the Future Together” event in New York City during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. She added that the communication channel established with Russia and Ukraine during six previous reunifications involving 34 children had been used to initiate the process. Teams from both countries have been coordinating arrangements, including demining, according to the statement.
Oleshky is located in southern Ukraine, across the Dnipro River from Kherson. Before the war, the city had approximately 24,000 residents. An estimated 1,700–2,000 people remain, including around 50 children. No formal demographic count has been conducted since 2022.
The city has remained on the front line, and approximately 90 percent of its territory was flooded following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.