Oleshky truce: Melania Trump mediates local ceasefire as Ukraine's Starlink access remains stalled

Thousands of civilians in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky will see a change in their daily survival conditions starting on October 27. The White House announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a local ceasefire in the city. Under the new arrangement, all military operations will stop to allow for the delivery of aid and the evacuation of residents.

Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. Residents have reported severe shortages of food, water, and electricity. An estimated 2,000 people remain in the city. Some residents have described surviving on weeds, boiled grass, and small rations. First lady Melania Trump brokered the truce. Her representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to set the terms of the agreement.

Melania Trump stated that residents wishing to leave will receive coordinated support and transportation. She noted that some residents may choose to go to Russia, while others will head to Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have spent weeks pushing for a civilian evacuation from Oleshky and nearby settlements. The country has used drones to airdrop emergency food and medical supplies into the town.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's ombudsman, told Reuters on Friday that the mission will include demining roads into the town and delivering food. He said a sufficient quantity of humanitarian aid will be delivered to meet the needs of everyone who requires it. Lubinets added that officials want the effort to go beyond a one-off event and extend beyond Oleshky alone. He had earlier told Reuters on October 18 that he believed an agreement was near, without mentioning the role of the first lady.

Efforts to arrange a humanitarian pause have a longer history. Ukrainian officials claimed that Russia rejected earlier calls for a ceasefire. Pope Leo XIV, the United Nations, EU officials, and the Council of Europe all urged a pause in fighting. Pope Leo XIV discussed the issue with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Despite these diplomatic pressures, the agreement was only announced on Friday.

Separately, Ukrainian forces continue to report widespread disruption to the Starlink satellite network. The slowdown began last week after Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly criticized Zelenskyy over continued strikes on Russian oil refineries. Trump claimed on Friday that Musk had lifted restrictions on the service. He told reporters, "I've heard it was fixed, but if it's not, I'll speak to him."

Ukrainian officials said speeds stayed capped at about 100mph throughout Friday. Serhii Beskrestnov, a military expert who advises Zelenskyy, said no lifting of the restrictions had been observed. The speed cap has stopped Ukrainian military equipment, including drones, from staying connected when moving at high speed. This has hampered offensive drone operations and efforts to intercept incoming Russian attacks.

British prime minister Andy Burnham stressed to Trump in a phone call that Ukraine needs full access to Starlink, according to Downing Street. The Starlink problem, along with complaints that Washington temporarily suspended intelligence-sharing with Kyiv, has pushed relations between Ukraine and the US to a new low. Tensions flared when Washington lifted sanctions on Russia and began importing Russian diesel. Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Friday that three tankers were heading to the US. He said Russian companies could supply 500,000 metric tonnes of diesel in October.

Russia launched another overnight barrage on Ukraine on Friday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the US are expected to resume in Abu Dhabi in November. Earlier rounds of talks produced no breakthrough. Russia's demands include a Ukrainian withdrawal from eastern territory, a drastic cut in the size of its military, and neutral status that would rule out Nato membership. Vladimir Putin told a Russian state television reporter late on Thursday that the lands lost by Kyiv are Russia's historical lands. He insisted Moscow would achieve all the objectives of its full-scale invasion.