Melania Trump ceasefire begins in Oleshky as Russia launches 300 projectiles
Humanitarian aid is permitted to enter the occupied town while Ukrainian forces report widespread missile and drone strikes on energy infrastructure across the country.
By Camila Herrera ·
A local truce brokered by First Lady Melania Trump took effect at 3:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday in the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky. The agreement is scheduled to last until Saturday and aims to allow humanitarian aid to reach residents facing shortages of food, water, and medicine.
Oleshky is located in the partially occupied Kherson region, situated across the Dnipro River from the city of Kherson. Russian forces captured the town at the beginning of the 2022 invasion. The town sits approximately 340 miles southeast of Kyiv.
While the temporary pause in fighting began in Oleshky, the rest of Ukraine faced continued bombardment. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia launched up to 16 ballistic missiles and 280 drones overnight. He reported that the strikes resulted in casualties.
Zelenskyy noted that Russian targets included the energy sector, logistics networks, and urban infrastructure. He described the daily strikes as part of a constant push toward escalation. The attacks targeted some of Ukraine's largest cities.
These military developments occur ahead of a new round of trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. Following separate meetings with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff facilitated discussions where both leaders expressed openness to negotiations. However, both sides emphasized that security guarantees remain essential.
On Tuesday, Putin spoke by phone with Finland's President Alexander Stubb and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. According to the Norwegian government, Stubb and Støre told Putin that their nations would continue supporting Ukraine and that war-ending negotiations must resume.
The current situation follows a broader energy ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump on Oct. 11, which has not yet produced meaningful results. Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia may be intensifying attacks on civilian and energy targets. This shift coincides with a U.S. deal allowing Russia to supply global markets with diesel and reported restrictions on the military use of SpaceX's Starlink service.
Source: CNBC
