Melania Trump secures a ceasefire in Ukraine’s Oleshky for aid and evacuations

The office of first lady Melania Trump announced on Friday that Ukraine and Russia will observe a ceasefire in and around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, approximately five miles behind active lines, enabling residents to evacuate.

According to reports, the temporary ceasefire negotiated by Trump will begin October 29. Envoys from Ukraine and Russia will conduct door-to-door checks in Oleshky to identify Ukrainian residents seeking evacuation with Newsmax cameras afforded unrestricted entry to record the campaign.

Oleshky is in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, southwest of the Dnipro River and was overrun by Russian military forces during the early phases of the incursion. However, routes into and out of the town are extensively mined and vulnerable to drone strikes while the road between Oleshky and Radensk to the east is cluttered with decimated transports which led to its reputation as the “ Road of Death.”

Trump said in its release, “The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky's remaining population consists primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water.”

“It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”

Oleshky was brought to Trump’s attention during a private meeting at her “Fostering the Future Together" affiliated event held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.