Oleshky Ceasefire Holds for 54 Hours as Aid Convoy Is Prepared

Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, said the ceasefire in the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast has now lasted 54 hours, and that a shipment of humanitarian aid is being readied for delivery on 30 October.

In a post on social media, Lubinets said that crews are clearing mines from the routes needed for the humanitarian mission. He added that the aid shipment is already being assembled. "The parties are fully complying with the agreed-upon terms, and no violations of the ceasefire have been recorded," he said.

The truce began at 03:00 Kyiv time on 27 October. Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed at the time that it had been introduced. It is scheduled to remain in force until 22:59 on 1 November.

Lubinets said he is in constant contact with his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, to coordinate how the agreements are carried out. "Our task is to deliver humanitarian aid to the people who remain in the city and to ensure that civilians can leave safely," he said.

He also thanked US First Lady Melania Trump, saying she is personally devoting time and attention to the mission and to helping civilians in Oleshky. On 23 October, the White House announced that she had secured the ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine for the city, where a humanitarian disaster is unfolding.

Melania Trump said on X on 29 October that four American journalists from Newsmax will be present in Russian-occupied Oleshky to document the humanitarian mission.

Ostap Yarysh, a Ukrainian journalist based in Washington, pointed out who is responsible in the United States for the evacuation plan. He said it is Marc Beckman, a private adviser to Melania Trump and the producer of the documentary Melania, about the first lady.

According to Yarysh, Beckman's background is in marketing, media and cultural projects. He founded the advertising agency DMA United, which works with well-known brands in fashion, entertainment and sports. Yarysh noted that Beckman's portfolio includes no diplomatic, political or humanitarian work, that he is not a US government official, and that he does not work in the Office of the First Lady. On social media, Beckman describes his role as "exclusive senior adviser."

Yarysh added that Beckman and Melania Trump have collaborated for many years on her media and business projects. These include the documentary released this year, which was produced with funding from Amazon.