Russia announces truce in Ukraine's Olechky starting Tuesday

Russia has announced a localized truce in the Ukrainian city of Olechky starting Tuesday, following an intervention by US First Lady Melania Trump to enable humanitarian operations. The ceasefire is set to take effect on October 29. The truce was announced by Russia's army chief of staff, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov praising Melania Trump's contribution. The White House statement says she engaged in discussions with both nations as an "exclusive intermediary," while Kiev has not yet commented on the announcement. Olechky, in the southern Kherson region, was captured by Russian forces in 2022 and heavily damaged by the 2023 Kakhovka dam destruction. Its population has dropped from about 24,000 to roughly 2,000, with residents facing shortages of food and medicine.