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Russia and Ukraine agreed to pause all military action in the front-line city of Oleshky from Oct. 29 to let in aid and prepare a civilian evacuation, the White House announced on Friday.
The White House said First Lady Melania Trump secured the localized ceasefire, acting in her formal role as "Exclusive Intermediary" through a channel she built while reuniting 34 children.
Both countries agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky, so humanitarian aid can enter and a civilian evacuation can be prepared through a designated safe passageway, according to the White House statement.
Melania Trump described conditions in the city as dire.
"The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water," she said.
"The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible," she added.
Civilian officials from both countries will visit residents at home to assess their needs, she said.
"Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require. Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine," she stated.
"I have also secured an impartial American media organization to accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process. This will play a significant role in ensuring that the wishes of each family are faithfully respected," she added.
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Melania Trump and her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms, the White House said. She initiated talks with both countries and aligned them on the agreement’s objectives, technical procedures, timing, processes and terms.
The situation in Oleshky came to her attention during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York during the 81st U.N. General Assembly, the White House said.
"My representative and I immediately leveraged the communication channel we established with Russia and Ukraine through the previous six reunifications of 34 children. Both nations promptly assigned teams to coordinate the complex mechanics involved, including demining. All parties have worked around the clock since that moment," she noted.
Oleshky lies in southern Ukraine, directly across the Dnipro River from Kherson. About 24,000 people lived there before the war. An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 residents remain, mostly older people unable to leave, along with about 50 children. There has been no formal demographic count since 2022.
The city has remained on the front line since the war began, with much of its population displaced or evacuated. About 90% of the city’s territory was flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.
Ukraine and Russia each exchanged 270 prisoners of war on Friday, both sides said.
"270 of our people are home. This is a very important achievement,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. Among those freed were five people presumed killed in a 2022 attack on a prison in occupied eastern Ukraine, he said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said, "270 Russian service members have been returned."
The returned servicemen are in Belarus, where Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova is "assisting" them, the ministry said. They will return to Russia after psychological and medical support and be taken to ministry facilities for treatment and rehabilitation.
Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said a separate return of civilians was arranged through his contacts with Lantratova.
"Seven Ukrainians have returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory, while seven individuals have traveled to the Russian Federation as part of a family reunification effort supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross," Lubinets said.
Lantratova said Russian and Ukrainian human rights officials are working together in Belarus, where "several important humanitarian missions are taking place."
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