Russia and Ukraine start Oleshky ceasefire coordinated by Melania Trump

The cease‑fire, announced by both sides on Tuesday, aims to deliver aid and evacuate civilians from the Russian‑occupied town of Oleshky.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:02:25 GMT

A regional cease‑fire between Russia and Ukraine took effect on Tuesday to enable a humanitarian operation in Oleshky, a town in southern Ukraine under Russian occupation, according to the three outlets.

What happened

The truce began at 01:00 GMT on Tuesday, with Russia’s defence ministry announcing it had stopped shelling toward Kherson from 04:00 Moscow time (01:00 GMT) to prepare for the effort in Oleshky. The pause is intended to allow aid deliveries and evacuations from the frontline town, which faces acute shortages of food and medicine.

What the reports add

Reuters footage, referenced by the Independent, shows destroyed buildings in Oleshky captured by a drone video dated 12 September 2026. The New York Post adds a photograph of destroyed cars on a highway near Oleshky taken on 30 September 2026. Al Jazeera notes that the cease‑fire was announced on 23 October and that Pope Leo was also involved in the mediation, a detail not mentioned by the other two outlets.

What was said

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, said on Facebook that the Ukrainian side was honouring its commitments, confirming Russia’s timing of the halt. The Independent quotes Lubinets as stating, “As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is honouring its commitments.” The New York Post repeats the same quotation. Al Jazeera reports the cease‑fire was secured by US First Lady Melania Trump, but does not provide a direct quote from her.

How it came about

The cease‑fire follows a series of diplomatic moves by US First Lady Melania Trump. Felo’s earlier coverage on 23 October reported that Trump’s office announced a temporary cease‑fire for Oleshky to start on 29 October, aiming to deliver humanitarian aid and create evacuation routes for the town’s mostly elderly population. Those articles also noted that the cease‑fire was brokered without public comment from either Moscow or Kyiv at the time of announcement.

Key facts

The cease‑fire began at 01:00 GMT on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. (aljazeera.com)
Russia stopped shelling toward Kherson from 04:00 Moscow time (01:00 GMT) to prepare for the Oleshky operation. (independent.co.uk)
Dmytro Lubinets confirmed Ukraine was honouring its commitments in a Facebook post. (independent.co.uk)
The cease‑fire was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. (aljazeera.com)
Oleshky faces acute shortages of food and medicine. (nypost.com)

Where accounts differ

Involvement of Pope Leo in the mediation.: additional involvement of Pope Leo (aljazeera.com); no mention of Pope Leo (independent.co.uk); no mention of Pope Leo (nypost.com)