Brief

Melania Trump announces cease‑fire for Oleshky as White House says she brokered deal

The cease‑fire is slated to start Thursday and will let civilians leave the Russian‑occupied city.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:06:24 GMT

Washington — The White House announced Friday that First Lady Melania Trump has brokered a local cease‑fire in the Russian‑occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, set to begin Thursday.

According to a White House news release, the cease‑fire will enable humanitarian aid deliveries and coordinated evacuations for residents, many of whom lack electricity, heat and running water. The release says civilian leaders from both Russia and Ukraine will visit Oleshky to assess assistance needs, and an "impartial American media organization" will document the process.

President Donald Trump told reporters that his wife’s focus is to "save children," adding that some evacuees may choose to go to Russia and others to Ukraine. The first lady has previously highlighted child welfare in conflict zones, hosting a U.N. Security Council meeting on the issue earlier this year and writing to President Vladimir Putin about reuniting displaced families.

Oleshky, a city of about 24,000 on the Dnipro River, fell to Russian forces on the first day of the full‑scale invasion in February 2022. The city suffered extensive damage, and in June 2023 floodwaters from the Kakhovka Dam collapse killed hundreds, an event an Associated Press investigation linked to the Russian military.

Russian state news agency TASS quoted human‑rights ombudswoman Yana Lantratova saying she has discussed the situation with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubin, though neither Moscow nor Kyiv has formally confirmed the cease‑fire.

Key facts

Melania Trump brokered a cease‑fire for Oleshky, to start Thursday (latimes.com)
The cease‑fire will allow humanitarian aid and civilian evacuations (latimes.com)
Oleshky was captured by Russian forces in February 2022 and suffered a deadly flood in June 2023 (latimes.com)
President Trump said his wife’s focus is to save children (latimes.com)
TASS reported Russian human‑rights ombudswoman Yana Lantratova discussed the situation with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubin (latimes.com)