Nearly 2,000 Civilians Trapped in Oleshky as Aid Truce Begins
Key Facts
A local ceasefire in Oleshky took effect at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27, to allow a humanitarian aid mission to reach the Russian-controlled city. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators and the two militaries confirmed the truce had begun in separate statements. Ukraine’s parliamentary ombudsman said the pause began at the same time on both sides, at 3 a.m. Kyiv time and 4 a.m. Moscow time. Preparations were proceeding under the preliminary agreement, he added. The truce is limited to this humanitarian operation and does not itself amount to a broader agreement to end the war.
The mission aims to reach residents stranded in the city as supplies dwindle and prepare the way for the later evacuation of civilians. The United Nations said up to 2,000 people remained in Oleshky as food and medicine ran short, according to the Associated Press. Mines and drone attacks in the area were preventing them from leaving, it added. Steps outlined by Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman include clearing mines from roads and delivering food, drinking water and medicine. They also include taking additional supplies to the hospital before evacuation routes are opened, making road security a key part of the mission.
The Ukrainian ombudsman said the mission would be carried out in coordination with Russian human rights ombudswoman Yana Lantratova. He said coordination by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump helped make it possible, after she coordinated with the countries’ leaders. The two human rights ombudsmen led the negotiating teams, according to the Ukrainian side; their role was not presented as mediation in their capacity as ombudsmen for the two parties. The White House estimated that Oleshky had a population of about 24,000 before the war. The number of people who remain there is currently estimated at between 1,700 and 2,000, including about 50 children, according to an estimate published by the White House on October 23.
The city faces difficult conditions on the ground beyond dwindling supplies. The White House said about 90% of Oleshky’s territory was flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. In a separate development coinciding with the start of the truce, the Associated Press reported hearing ballistic missile explosions in Kyiv minutes after the local pause began. The agency cited authorities as saying an earlier overnight strike damaged university grounds in the capital, killing one person and injuring 10 others. The continuing military activity outside Oleshky shows the agreement is confined to the town and the aid mission, while the war continues elsewhere.
The local truce is due to remain in effect until at least Saturday, with the possibility of an extension, according to an Associated Press report. The period is intended to allow the humanitarian mission to proceed amid difficulties reaching the city and securing its roads. The agency said mutual distrust had thwarted previous ceasefire efforts. On the diplomatic track, Ukraine’s president said negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States had agreed to hold technical meetings in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. The next round could take place in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland, he added. Those meetings remain separate from the local truce, whose continuation is directly tied to delivering aid and preparing evacuation routes.