Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a localized ceasefire around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town on the left bank of the Dnipro in Kherson region. The White House announced the deal on October 23 and said First Lady Melania Trump helped broker it. Ukraine's General Staff and Russian General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov both gave the same start: 03:00 Kyiv time on October 27, though the White House cited a different day, so reports on timing differ.
The pause is meant to let non-military teams from both countries visit residents at home, deliver aid and arrange transport for anyone who wants to leave for either Russia or Ukraine. Oleshky had about 24,000 residents before Russian forces captured it in February 2022; current estimates of how many remain range from roughly 1,700 to 2,000. The Kremlin's Dmitry Peskov said the evacuation would take at least a few days, and no end date has been given.
The truce covers only the town, not the wider front. Pope Leo XIV and the European Commission had earlier called for aid access and evacuations, and Zelenskyy has said planned November peace talks depend on Russia.