Ceasefire in Oleshky: Melania Trump’s Efforts Draw Praise

A temporary ceasefire has been agreed in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine, following efforts by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Both Russia and Ukraine have welcomed the arrangement. The operation, which began on Thursday, aims to deliver food and medicine to the town, where residents have been trapped by the war since 2022, and facilitate the evacuation of hundreds of civilians.

Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, said she was taking four journalists from the U.S. conservative news channel Newsmax to the area. Her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets, was also travelling to Oleshky. Speaking at a meeting in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that, with the support of the U.S. first lady, humanitarian supplies would begin reaching civilians on Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, Lubinets expressed his particular gratitude for the humanitarian mission and for the personal time and attention devoted to helping civilians in Oleshky. According to the White House, the ceasefire arrangement in the town was made possible through Melania Trump’s efforts. However, any impression of broader humanitarian relief amid the war quickly faded after local authorities reported that a drone strike on a passenger train at the central railway station in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed 13 people. No ceasefire was in effect there. Ukraine’s state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said a jet-powered drone struck a platform where a passenger train was preparing to depart for nearby Zaporizhzhia.

The ceasefire, covering Oleshky and the wider Kherson region, is expected to remain in effect until Sunday. Before the war, the town had a population of 24,000. Today, approximately 1,500 people are reportedly living amid the ruins. Interfax, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reported that mine-clearing operations were underway in the area. Peskov said authorities hoped residents would be able to receive humanitarian assistance safely and that those wishing to leave would be able to do so on Thursday or Friday.

Ukraine has long accused Russia of blocking humanitarian aid and preventing residents from leaving, while Russia maintains that Ukrainian landmines and shelling along the routes have obstructed relief efforts. According to reports, those wishing to evacuate are expected to travel through Russian-controlled Crimea, then southern Russia and Belarus, before re-entering Ukraine. The development comes as U.S.-mediated peace talks are expected to resume in Abu Dhabi next month, although the two sides remain far apart on the terms for ending the war.