US First Lady Melania Trump has “successfully secured” a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, the White House has said.
The statement said the truce in the “front-line war city on the brink of disaster” would begin on 29 October, though Ukraine and Russia have so far not commented.
“Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” it added.
Oleshky, in the Kherson region, was seized by Russian forces during the first days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Remaining residents have recently resorted to eating garden weeds to survive.
The White House statement said Melania Trump and her representative had worked “directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the localised ceasefire”.
“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,” she is quoted as saying.
“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.”
Melania Trump added that Oleshky residents “have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks” and that “without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible”.
The statement did not say how long the ceasefire would be in place for.
