Oleshky truce begins Oct. 27 to move 2,000 residents

An estimated 2,000 civilians remain in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, where a new ceasefire is set to begin on October 27. The White House announced the agreement on Friday, stating that all military operations in the city will stop to facilitate aid delivery and evacuation. The pause is designed to address a worsening humanitarian crisis in the southern Ukrainian city.

Oleshky has been under Russian control since February 2022. Residents report severe shortages of food, water, and electricity. Some inhabitants are reportedly surviving on weeds, boiled grass, bread, and small rations. The White House said first lady Melania Trump brokered the deal, with her representative working directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to set the terms. Trump stated that evacuating residents would receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination, whether Russia or Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have spent weeks pushing for a civilian evacuation from Oleshky and nearby settlements. The country has used drones to airdrop emergency food and medical supplies into the town. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's ombudsman, told Reuters on Friday that the mission would include demining roads, delivering food, and evacuating civilians. He said a sufficient quantity of humanitarian aid would be delivered to meet the needs of everyone who requires it. Lubinets added that officials want the effort to go beyond a one-off event and beyond Oleshky alone.

This agreement follows a longer record of efforts to arrange a humanitarian pause. Ukrainian officials claimed earlier that Russia rejected previous calls for a ceasefire. Pope Leo XIV, the United Nations, EU officials, and the Council of Europe all urged a ceasefire. As recently as October 18, Lubinets said he believed an agreement was near, without mentioning a role for the first lady.

Separate tensions have emerged regarding the Starlink satellite network. Ukrainian forces report widespread disruption to the service, despite US president Donald Trump claiming that Elon Musk lifted restrictions. The slowdown began last week after Trump and Musk publicly criticized Zelenskyy over strikes on Russian oil refineries. Both have denied responsibility for the issue. Trump told reporters on Friday that he had heard it was fixed but would speak to Musk if it was not. British prime minister Andy Burnham stressed to Trump in a phone call that Ukraine needs full access to Starlink.

Ukrainian officials said speeds stayed capped at about 100mph throughout Friday. Serhii Beskrestnov, a military expert who advises Zelenskyy, said no lifting of the restrictions had been observed. The cap has stopped Ukrainian military equipment, including drones, from staying connected when moving at high speed. This has hampered offensive drone operations and efforts to intercept incoming Russian attacks.

Ukrainian and US relations have reached a new low, driven by the Starlink problem and complaints that Washington temporarily suspended intelligence sharing with Kyiv. Tensions flared when Washington lifted sanctions on Russia and began importing Russian diesel to lower US energy prices before midterm elections. Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Friday that three tankers were heading to the US and that Russian companies could supply 500,000 metric tonnes in October.

Russia launched another overnight barrage on Ukraine on Friday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are expected to resume in Abu Dhabi in November. Earlier rounds produced no breakthrough. Russia demands a Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern territory, a drastic cut in its military size, and neutral status that rules out Nato membership. Putin told a Russian state television reporter late Thursday that the lands lost by Kyiv are Russia's historical lands and insisted Moscow would achieve all the objectives of its full-scale invasion.