Ukraine-Russia agree to Oleshky ceasefire
People in Russian-occupied city facing severe shortages of food, water and electricity, with some reportedly surviving on weeds.
Kyiv Ukraine and Russia said they had agreed to a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, with the arrangement brokered through United States First Lady Melania Trump. The truce is scheduled to take effect on October 27, allowing humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of residents through designated corridors. The agreement comes as Washington seeks to restart negotiations aimed at ending the war, which has continued for four and a half years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the United States had agreed to hold technical-level meetings during the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. A US official later said the next round of discussions could take place in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland within a couple of weeks. Zelenskiy expressed hope that negotiations involving the three countries would eventually lead to a meeting of their leaders. Previous rounds of US-led negotiations stalled in February without significant progress towards ending Europe's bloodiest conflict since the Second World War. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine surrender the entire eastern Donbas region, including areas Russian forces have not captured. Kyiv has rejected proposals to relinquish territory it currently controls. The latest diplomatic efforts follow weeks of tensions between Washington and Kyiv. Disagreements have included restrictions involving SpaceX's Starlink communications system, which Ukraine uses for military communications and protection against incoming attacks. US President Donald Trump said he would address any continuing problems with Starlink and, if necessary, discuss the issue with SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk.
