Melania Trump’s Oleshky ceasefire still holds after 30 hours, officials say

A rare pause in Oleshky

Officials from Russia and Ukraine said Wednesday that the ceasefire in Oleshky had remained unbroken for 30 hours. The city is in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson and is under Russian occupation.

The six-day pause could mark the first significant truce held by both sides since Russia invaded Ukraine more than four and a half years ago. Earlier efforts to stop the fighting failed to take hold or broke down quickly.

The ceasefire coincides with US-led plans to bring Moscow and Kyiv officials back to negotiations next month for technical talks. Neither side has shown signs of changing its key demands.

Humanitarian efforts and evacuations

The White House said Melania Trump brokered the humanitarian mission after drawing attention to Oleshky’s plight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked her for helping halt the fighting in and around the city.

Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to receive people evacuated from Oleshky. Melania Trump has said humanitarian corridors are being established to help residents leave. Russia’s ombudsperson, Yana Lantratova, said Trump’s personal involvement was important to the process. Pope Leo XIV also urged Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow aid into Oleshky and ensure civilians could leave safely, the Vatican said.

Strikes continue elsewhere

While the ceasefire held in Oleshky, Russia and Ukraine continued to strike each other elsewhere. A Russian drone attack overnight wounded five people in Kharkiv, including a four-year-old child, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.