US announces ceasefire in occupied Oleshky; Russia sends diesel tankers to North America

The White House said on Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop all military operations in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky from 27 October. The aim is to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and preparations to evacuate civilians. Russian and Ukrainian officials both said the sides were close to agreeing a ceasefire. It comes as the US tries to organise new talks to end the war.

Humanitarian crisis in Oleshky

The city has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. Residents describe increasingly desperate conditions, with severe shortages of food, water and electricity. An estimated 2,000 people remain, some reportedly forced to survive on weeds, boiled grass, bread and meagre rations.

New talks

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US had agreed to technical-level meetings in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. A US official later said the three countries may hold their next talks in a couple of weeks in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland. Zelenskyy said he hoped a meeting of the countries' leaders would follow.

The peace efforts follow a rift between Washington and Kyiv in recent weeks and several moves by US president Donald Trump seen as favouring Russia, including limits placed on the Starlink communication system Ukraine uses to defend against incoming attacks. Trump said on Friday that if Ukraine still had problems accessing it, he would sort it out and, if necessary, speak to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Russian diesel

Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said three tankers carrying Russian diesel are on their way to North America. The cargoes are part of a deal under which Russian companies could supply 500,000 metric tonnes to US and world markets in October. Under the arrangement announced this month by Trump, Russia agreed to supply diesel to global markets to lower fuel prices, in return for Trump temporarily lifting US sanctions on Russian fuel. Reuters reported that the Malta-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes, loaded with ultra-low sulphur diesel, is expected to reach the US on 7 November.

Other developments

EU leaders at a summit in Brussels pressed new UK prime minister Andy Burnham to contribute more to Ukraine's defence, and EU officials say Canada and Japan should also do more. The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said repairs to key power infrastructure near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant were completed under a temporary ceasefire. The work strengthened the plant's link to its sole remaining external power line, Ferosplavna-1.