Truce begins in Oleshky, the Ukrainian city where residents ate weeds to survive
A ceasefire has begun in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which the White House says was secured by US First Lady Melania Trump. Ukraine says it is honouring its commitments.
A ceasefire has begun in Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine's Kherson region under Russian control. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's parliament commissioner for human rights and head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, confirmed it in a Facebook post, writing that the Ukrainian side is honouring its commitments. The truce matters because it opens a way to deliver assistance to civilians trapped in the city with scarce food.
Trapped between front lines
Russia seized Oleshky in the first days of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Residents have been stuck with limited food supplies between Ukrainian positions across the Dnipro River and Russian forces to the east.
The city had 24,000 residents before the war. Ukraine now estimates that about 6,000 people remain in the city and surrounding areas, including 200 children.
Melania Trump's role
The White House said last week that US First Lady Melania Trump had secured the ceasefire. In a press release, she said non-military civilian leaders from both countries would work together to visit residents in their homes and determine what assistance they need.
The first lady keeps a lower profile than some of her predecessors and is only occasionally seen at White House events, but she has become involved in humanitarian issues stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war. In August 2025 she wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it was "time to protect children and future generations worldwide".
