Melania Trump secures ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine for blockaded town 'on brink of disaster', White House claims
Some 1,700 people are trapped in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky without food, basic essentials or a way out.
The White House has said Melania Trump has successfully secured a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine localised to a blockaded city near the front line.
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Both countries have agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Russian-occupied Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and get ready for a civilian evacuation through a safe passageway, the White House added.
The ceasefire will begin on October 29.
Some 1,700 people are trapped in Oleshky without basic essentials or a way out. Before the conflict, roughly 24,000 people lived there.
In the last few months, Ukrainian troops have been dropping aid parcels and tonnes of food onto the town via drone in a bid to prevent mass starvation.
"Both nations agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway," the statement from the White House said.
Melania has been active in trying to get Ukrainian children seized by Russia during the war returned to their families.
"The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster. Oleshky's remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water," she said in the statement.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has described the situation in Oleshky this week as "genocide".
Earlier this week, the military head of a region in Ukraine told LBC that Russia was depriving civilians from access to food, water and electricity - while simultaneously blocking them from "any possibility of escaping hell".
Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, explained: “Russian occupying forces are obstructing the provision of aid to civilians, destroying vehicles used to deliver humanitarian supplies, and killing people who try to bring in food and medicine,” he said.
He added authorities had received reports that civilians who collected food were detained, severely beaten and held in makeshift detention cells, alongside reports of sexual violence.
