Oct 26 - Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a localised ceasefire around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, an arrangement that will enable aid deliveries and allow evacuations from a frontline town suffering acute shortages of food and medicine.
The agreement was announced on October 23 and brokered by US first lady Melania Trump, with the additional involvement of Pope Leo, as Washington seeks to revive broader peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.
WHY ARE RESIDENTS OF OLESHKY AT RISK?
Oleshky lies on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, opposite Kherson city, which is held by Ukrainian forces. Russian troops seized Oleshky during the first days of their February 2022 invasion and have controlled it ever since.
Oleshky has suffered extensive war damage and was hit hard by flooding after the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam in 2023.
The United States has said only a few thousand people remain in Oleshky, from a prewar population of 24,000. Residents and officials have reported severe shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies.
WHAT DOES THE CEASEFIRE INVOLVE?
According to Ukrainian and Russian officials, the arrangement provides for a local halt in fighting, the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the evacuation of civilians who wish to leave the town.
The two sides said humanitarian corridors would be established to allow aid deliveries and the movement of residents.
WHO BROKERED THE DEAL?
The White House said Melania Trump helped secure the agreement after becoming involved in discussions on the humanitarian situation in Oleshky. The White House said the first lady and a representative worked with Russian and Ukrainian officials to agree the terms of the ceasefire.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets publicly thanked Melania Trump and her team for helping coordinate the talks. Russian officials also confirmed the agreement.
Pope Leo also played a role. He held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Vatican said, and urged Ukraine and Russia to cooperate to let aid and food in.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT?
The ceasefire is limited in scope and does not address the wider conflict, now in its fifth year. But it is a rare example of direct cooperation between the two sides since the start of the invasion.
The Kremlin said on Monday that the truce might serve as a precedent for similar localised ceasefires in the future. REUTERS