WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2026 —

A localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine took effect early Tuesday in and around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine's Kherson region, so humanitarian aid can be delivered and civilians who want to leave can be evacuated.

"The ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia took effect at 4:00am Moscow time on October 27, 2026," First Lady Melania Trump wrote in a post on her X account. "Timing was accelerated two days ahead of schedule to protect the safety of civilians and to facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid. The ceasefire's geographic area has expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson Region, to provide safe passage for the humanitarian convoys." She added: "General Valery Gerasimov, Joint Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces has confirmed."

That start time is 3 a.m. in Ukraine, or 9 p.m. Monday Eastern time, NBC News reported.

What the White House announced

In an Oct. 23 statement, the White House said both nations "agreed to temporarily stop all military action in Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway." That statement originally gave Oct. 29 as the start date.

The statement quotes the first lady: "Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require. Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination."

According to the White House, about 24,000 people lived in Oleshky before the war. An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 residents remain, mostly older people, along with about 50 children, and there has been no formal count there since 2022.

What officials on both sides said Tuesday

  • No violations reported so far. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday there had been no reports of violations, NBC News reported. The BBC reported that both sides said the ceasefire was being observed, and that Peskov said everything was proceeding "according to plan."
  • How long it lasts. David Arakhamia, who leads President Volodymyr Zelensky's party in Ukraine's parliament, said the truce runs until 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday, Nov. 1, the BBC reported. NBC News also reported he said it would stay in place until late Sunday.
  • What comes next. The BBC reported that the plan calls for aid deliveries into Oleshky followed by an evacuation, planned for Friday, for anyone who wants to leave.

What it covers

The truce applies to Oleshky and, according to the first lady, a wider area of the Kherson region for aid convoys. On Tuesday the two sides were conducting attacks elsewhere but not in Oleshky, NBC News reported. NBC also reported that Peskov said Monday the ceasefire could serve as a model for similar humanitarian arrangements in other areas.

Those are the facts, directly from the source.

Sources: Melania Trump's X post of Oct. 27, 2026; White House statement of Oct. 23, 2026; NBC News and BBC reporting, Oct. 27, 2026.

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