US-brokered truce expected to start in Russian-occupied city

A truce between Ukraine and Russia aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky is set to take effect early Tuesday, according to US First Lady Melania Trump. The ceasefire, which begins at 3am local time (0100 GMT), applies to a limited area within Ukraine's southern Kherson region, a region that has been a focal point of conflict since the start of Russia's 2022 invasion.

The city, once home to approximately 24,000 residents before the invasion, now hosts around 2,000 people, including up to 50 children, according to both Ukrainian and US estimates. The city's population has dwindled due to starvation, lack of medical supplies, and limited access to leave the area. Three-way peace talks between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv are scheduled to resume in November after a break.

Melania Trump announced the truce, stating that civilian officials from both Russia and Ukraine would visit residents in their homes to determine their needs and provide coordinated assistance for evacuation, should they choose to leave. Neither Russia nor Ukraine has disclosed who would monitor the truce or provided details about the accompanying humanitarian operation.

The city's condition is dire, with many residents reportedly foraging for food or surviving on minimal resources, with one former resident describing them as "forgotten what bread is." The Ukrainian army pledged to support the city's remaining residents, while drone footage shows the extensive damage caused by the 2023 Kakhovka dam explosion, which triggered widespread flooding along the Dnipro River.