U.S.-brokered truce begins in Ukraine city occupied by Russia

A truce between Ukraine and Russia aimed at allowing humanitarian aid into the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky entered into force early on Tuesday (October 27, 2026), after it was announced by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump last week.

Both sides said they would observe the truce starting at 3:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT). AFP was not able to immediately verify whether there had been a decrease in fighting. And Ukraine’s military said early on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) that ballistic missiles had been launched toward Kyiv.

The war-ravaged city in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region has been caught in middle of the fighting since 2022, when it was seized by Russian forces at the start of their invasion. Former residents told AFP earlier this year that those remaining in the city were starving, lacked medicine and could not easily leave.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) that the truce was in effect. Kyiv’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said Ukraine was “fulfilling its commitments” to the ceasefire. “The sides are adhering to the agreements that we reached,” he said on Telegram.

The ceasefire, which applies to a limited area, comes as the Ukraine war grinds through its fifth year. Three-way peace talks between Washington, Moscow and Kyiv are set to resume in November after a months-long hiatus. Neither Russia, Ukraine nor the United States have said who would monitor the truce or given details about the humanitarian operation set to accompany it.

Announcing last Friday (October 23, 2026) that she had brokered the ceasefire, Melania Trump said civilian officials from both Russia and Ukraine would visit residents in their homes and “determine the level of assistance they require”.

“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” she said. Newsmax, a right-wing U.S. cable network, has said it had been granted “exclusive television access” to accompany observers entering the city on Thursday (October 22, 2026).

Neither Russia nor Ukraine have said how long the truce would last. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday (October 23, 2026) it would halt fire in the “Kherson sector” for the duration of the ceasefire, without giving details.

“To ensure the safety of the population and the delivery of essential humanitarian supplies... the safe passage of a humanitarian convoy to the settlement of Oleshky, Kherson Region, will be facilitated,” it quoted army chief Valery Gerasimov as saying.