Localised ceasefire takes effect in occupied Oleshky ahead of aid mission

A US-brokered ceasefire has taken effect in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, suspending Russian strikes on Kherson to permit evacuations and aid deliveries.

• Russian chief of staff Valery Gerasimov announced the ceasefire on October 23, citing the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Oleshky.
• US First Lady Melania Trump, with Pope Leo's involvement, brokered the agreement after a phone call between Putin and Trump.
• Negotiators said doctors, medicines, food and water will be delivered to Oleshky before evacuation corridors open.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the agreement could set a precedent for humanitarian operations in other regions.
• Ukraine's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets confirmed that Ukrainian forces are honouring their commitments under the ceasefire.
• Oleshky, seized by Russia in February 2022, holds an estimated 6,000 residents, including 200 children, with scarce food supplies.
• The White House said civilian leaders from both countries will coordinate visits to assess residents' needs.
• The Russian Defense Ministry said the ceasefire took effect at 4 a.m. Moscow time on Tuesday, with forces halting shelling toward Kherson.
• Around 1,700 people remain in Oleshky, local officials said, fewer than the 6,000 residents cited earlier.
• Melania Trump was announced as the deal's exclusive intermediary on Friday, following her talks at the UN General Assembly.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had been negotiating the agreement for some time before it took effect.