Russia and Ukraine Agree a Local Truce for a Starving City
Both Moscow and Kyiv have confirmed a localised ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, to evacuate residents and bring in aid. Each says its forces will stop firing at two in the morning on 27 October. The White House, which announced it, gave a later date.
This began as a White House claim and has become a story because both belligerents have now confirmed the same thing, which is rare. The American first lady said she had “successfully secured” the truce in a city “on the brink of disaster”, and that residents who wish to leave “will receive co-ordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine.” About 6,000 people are thought to remain of the 24,000 who lived there before the invasion, among them 200 children. There has been no gas or electricity since 2023, residents have resorted to eating garden weeds, and a single hospital opens a few days a week for critical amputations. The head of President Zelensky’s party in parliament confirmed that an operation to unblock the settlement would begin shortly. Two limits worth stating: the White House put the start at 29 October where both Moscow and Kyiv said the 27th, and nobody has said how long the ceasefire will hold.