Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that a ceasefire is scheduled to take effect in Oleshki starting on October 27. He noted that the American side has suggested implementing the ceasefire for a few days, enabling humanitarian missions to enter the area.
To facilitate the evacuation of residents, the Russian side is expected to clear the roads of mines. Zelensky stated, “They [the Russians] will not simply let people go. Some individuals will be evacuated to the areas we control in some format. The key is to unblock these individuals so they can live. Ideally, they should be able to reach their destination and evacuate to us, to Ukraine, which will provide everything they need and support them.”
Context
- Oleshki has been under Russian occupation since the early days of the full-scale war. Due to mining, drone attacks, and a lack of safe routes, residents have been unable to leave or receive humanitarian assistance. On October 16, Pope Francis reached out to the illegitimate president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, requesting a humanitarian ceasefire to facilitate aid delivery to the city, which he later discussed with President Zelensky.
- On October 23, the White House announced, through Melania Trump’s mediation, that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt hostilities in Oleshki to allow for aid delivery and resident evacuations, with October 29 initially set as the start date for the ceasefire. Subsequently, the General Staffs of the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces reported a ceasefire would commence in the Kherson direction at 3:00 AM on October 27, Kyiv time.
