Melania Trump Says Ceasefire Has Expanded in Kherson
Goldlaner.com – Melania Trump says ceasefire has expanded around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region, creating a humanitarian window for aid deliveries and civilian evacuations. The temporary halt in fighting began early Tuesday, according to Ukrainian and Russian officials.
Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said the ceasefire started at 3 a.m. Kyiv time. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it stopped shelling toward Oleshky at the same time. The measure is intended to allow essential supplies into the area and help vulnerable residents leave safely.
Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since the opening days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukrainian authorities estimate that about 1,700 people remain in the city, where access to basic services has been severely constrained by the war.
Humanitarian area widened beyond Oleshky
Lubinets said the arrangement was part of a humanitarian effort involving Melania Trump and Yana Lantratova, Russia’s commissioner for human rights. Melania Trump says ceasefire has expanded beyond Oleshky to support safe movement for aid convoys elsewhere in the Kherson region.
Trump said Russian General Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov had confirmed the wider protected area. She also said the expansion began two days earlier than planned to improve safety for civilians and speed the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
“We’ve been working to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky since late February 2026. Things really started moving in September — thanks to Melania Trump. The US side is monitoring how each party is fulfilling its commitments,” Lubinets said on Ukrainian television channel 1+1.
Lubinets said representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States would be present once routes were cleared and aid arrived. Residents who want to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory would be able to do so, he added.
Relief mixed with concern in Kherson
Residents in the city of Kherson, across the Dnipro River from Oleshky, have welcomed the reduction in fighting while remaining concerned about what could happen after the pause ends. Kherson remains exposed to repeated attacks on civilians and infrastructure because of its position near the front line.
“People are happy, but everyone’s afraid that after this ceasefire, they’ll give us such a beating that it’ll be beyond belief,” Kherson resident Zhanna Yakovleva said. “That’s the reality, unfortunately.”
Two civilians have been killed in the Kherson region since October 20, while 38 others, including six children, have been injured. Many residents whose homes were damaged have had to stay with relatives or friends.
Yakovleva said the lull allowed people to inspect damaged homes and apartments, something made difficult by persistent drone strikes. Kherson was retaken by Ukraine later in 2022 after becoming the first major city captured by Russian forces.
Ceasefire expected to last until November 1
Ukrainian lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, who is involved in peace negotiations, said the ceasefire was expected to continue until November 1. He called it the broadest truce so far along the largest stretch of Ukraine’s southern front.
By late Tuesday afternoon, Lubinets said both sides were complying in the designated areas. Lantratova also said no violations had been recorded. Melania Trump says ceasefire has expanded as a localized humanitarian step, not as an agreement to end the wider war.
Fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine. A 46-year-old woman was killed in an attack on Kyiv, while more than a dozen people were injured and a bridge was damaged, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service. Russia said it had struck Ukrainian military facilities, a logistics center in Kharkiv and transport infrastructure in Kyiv.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Oleshky ceasefire cover? The arrangement is intended to reduce fighting in designated parts of the Kherson region so aid can move and civilians can evacuate.
Can civilians leave Oleshky? Lubinets said residents seeking to travel to Ukrainian-controlled territory would be able to do so once routes are cleared.
Does the ceasefire apply across Ukraine? No. The measure is a localized humanitarian pause in the Kherson region, while combat has continued in other parts of Ukraine.