Ukraine, Russia agree to ceasefire in occupied Oleshky for humanitarian mission starting Oct. 27

Ukraine's General Staff said the ceasefire would begin at 3 a.m. Kyiv time (4 a.m. Moscow time). Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov separately confirmed the arrangement, saying Russian forces would observe a temporary ceasefire to facilitate the humanitarian operation.

The White House said on Oct. 23 that U.S. First Lady Melania Trump had helped broker the agreement through direct contacts with Ukrainian and Russian officials.

According to the White House, she served as an intermediary in negotiations over the mission's objectives, procedures, timing and conditions.

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian forces would carry out the decision to facilitate the humanitarian mission, with the necessary orders issued to military units.

Humanitarian crisis in Oleshky

Oleshky, a town in Kherson Oblast under Russian occupation, has been effectively cut off from regular food supplies since late May 2026.

More than 6,000 civilians, including approximately 200 children, may remain in the town and surrounding area, where residents face severe food shortages and restrictions on leaving imposed by Russian forces.

Ukrainian forces have previously used drones to deliver emergency supplies to residents. One operation delivered nearly 400 packages containing food, medicine and children's supplies, weighing a total of four metric tons.

Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said in September that Russia had repeatedly failed to confirm its willingness to allow a humanitarian evacuation.

The planned ceasefire is intended to provide a safe window for humanitarian access and civilian evacuations. Neither side has yet reported that the operation has begun.