Melania Trump brokers rare Oleshky truce as 25-vehicle convoy enters city

The war in Ukraine has lasted four and a half years, but a fragile pause in fighting allowed a humanitarian convoy to enter the damaged city of Oleshky on Friday. The operation marks the most notable truce in the conflict since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began.

A fleet of 25 buses, ambulances, and aid vehicles arrived in the Russian-occupied town to deliver food and medicine. The mission also offers an exit for civilians who wish to leave for either Russia or Ukraine. Local authorities and volunteers estimate that approximately 2,000 people still live in Oleshky.

The localized ceasefire in the southern Kherson region has held for four days and is scheduled to remain in effect through Sunday evening. Russia and Ukraine issued identical statements confirming that any resident who wants to leave can do so safely. Those who choose to stay will receive the necessary humanitarian support while the truce holds.

The United States played a central role in facilitating the agreement. The White House announced that First Lady Melania Trump brokered the deal. Pope Leo XIV also urged Russian and Ukrainian leaders to assist the population of Oleshky. Officials from both sides coordinated the logistics of the mission in a rare joint effort.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman and chief negotiator, stated that the convoy was staged in Armyansk, a town about 85 kilometers south of Oleshky. Demining crews cleared the designated routes into the city late Thursday, during which two workers were killed. Lubinets said the evacuation process would conclude by 2 p.m. local time, with aid distribution starting 30 minutes later. It was unclear whether he was referencing Ukrainian time or western Russian time.

Ksenia Arkhipova, a local volunteer, told the Associated Press on Thursday that roughly 1,000 residents have indicated they want to leave. She noted that the presence of a Ukrainian delegation in the city is critical because many residents fear Russian authorities might interrogate or detain them. The specific route evacuees would take was not published, though Ukrainian territory sits just across the River Dnipro from Oleshky.

The truce did not stop the war elsewhere. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukrainian air force officials reported that Russia launched ballistic missiles and dozens of drones during the same period. A limited number of Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. media organizations were invited to cover the Oleshky operation.