Humanitarian aid expected to enter Oleshky as localized Russia-Ukraine truce holds

Humanitarian aid is poised to roll into the stricken city of Oleshky on Friday, a Ukrainian official said, as a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine stretched into a third day and military units cleared away landmines.

Military units working to clear landmines as ceasefire stretches into 3rd day

The Associated Press

· Posted: Oct 29, 2026 8:25 AM EDT | Last Updated: 30 minutes ago

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Humanitarian aid is poised to roll into the stricken city of Oleshky on Friday, a Ukrainian official said, as a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine stretched into a third day and military units cleared away landmines.

Moscow and Kyiv have observed the truce in and around the devastated southern Ukrainian city since Tuesday, despite remaining locked in war since Russia's all-out invasion of its neighbour more than 4½ years ago. Previous efforts to secure ceasefires either never worked out or the truces quickly fell apart.

Elsewhere, a jet-powered Russian drone hit two trains stopped at a station in central Ukraine, killing at least 13 people and injuring 10 others, officials said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it in a post on X as a "horrific attack."

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Also, Russia said its air defences downed 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight, in one of the largest drone attacks launched by Kyiv. Around half of the drones were heading to the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

Oleshky ceasefire holds for 54 hours

Both sides thanked U.S. First Lady Melania Trump for what the White House said was her role in helping broker the temporary ceasefire so that food and medical supplies can reach some 2,000 people trapped in Oleshky. Pope Leo XIV also pressed for a truce.

"The ceasefire has been in place for 54 hours now," Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said Thursday, adding that aid deliveries were due to begin the following day. "The parties are fully adhering to the agreements, and no violations of the ceasefire have been reported."

His Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, confirmed the truce was holding and that Russian engineers are working on de-mining Oleshky roads.

"Both sides are fully honouring their commitments, and no violations have been recorded," she said. "This allows military personnel to continue clearing roads of mines and to prepare a safe passage for the humanitarian convoy."

WATCH | Russia and Ukraine began regional ceasefire in Oleshky on Tuesday:

Melania Trump-brokered ceasefire area expands in eastern Ukraine

October 27|

Duration

2:09

A ceasefire in the eastern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, partially brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump, has been geographically expanded to allow humanitarian aid to flow. Trump says Oleshky residents are free to go to western Ukraine, but with Russia controlling the escape routes, the way out is unclear.

Local people will also be able to evacuate, either into Russia or Ukraine, officials say. The mechanics of how that might work were unclear.

Lantratova said she and her team were on their way to Oleshky for the aid delivery, while Lubinets arrived in Belarus and will head to the city from there, as part of an operation that Lantratova said was five months in the making.

Drone danger in Kherson halts amid truce

The planned six-day ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky has also brought a rare and welcome stillness for civilians in the nearby city of Kherson, which is held by Ukraine and has also been wracked by the war.

In Kherson, growing numbers of people were out on the streets as the truce held.

Nataliia Myronenko, 42, had a steady stream of customers at her coffee kiosk since early Thursday.

"Now, during the quiet, we have people at lunchtime and in the evening, which we didn't have under the attacks," she said. "For a while, people would race down this street because they were afraid to stop."

The pause has brought a sense of relief, she said. "It's a breath of freedom, when you don't look at the sky. You keep looking at your feet because of the mines, but you're not afraid of dying. It's so great," she said.

"It's such a privilege and a joy, but we understand it will end soon."

Russian military personnel pass by damaged vehicle on Wednesday during a de-mining operation they conducted in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian town of Oleshky. (Russian Defence Ministry/Reuters)

Moscow and Kyiv are keen to curry favour with Washington ahead of possible talks next month between Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

American military support is vital for Ukraine, but U.S. President Donald Trump has recently indicated he is disengaging with Kyiv as he waived sanctions on Russia and publicly chided Zelenskyy.

Tankers carrying Russian diesel are currently sailing to the United States, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to the U.S. for a G20 ministerial meeting in Atlanta, Ga., starting Friday, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

European leaders, on the other hand, have been trying to diplomatically isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin over Moscow's invasion and what they call a campaign of sabotage across the continent.

Ukraine earlier this month reported sudden and unexpected limits on Starshield, the military-grade version of the Starlink satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX that is the backbone of Ukraine's drone operations and communications.

Putin said that Russia has been in contact with the American tech titan to co-ordinate their orbiting activities because it is building its own equivalent of Starlink.

"Elon Musk is a genius. Truly, a real genius," Putin said late Wednesday. "We and our American partners value this relationship, and despite all the political issues, we continue to work closely together."