A humanitarian effort to provide urgently needed food and other supplies for residents of the Russian-controlled town of Alyoshki (in Ukrainian, Oleshky) in the Kherson Region, and to provide a chance for residents to evacuate, has been agreed upon and will begin on Oct. 29, according to the White House. The low-lying town, located on the left (south) bank of the Dnieper River, has been under siege by Ukrainian forces from the heights in the city of Kherson across the river. Its approach roads from the south are a heavily mined “kill zone” of Ukrainian remotely placed mines and drone attacks on civilians and the Russian military alike. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army Valery Gerasimov announced that Russian forces will enforce a localized ceasefire beginning at 1:00 a.m. GMT on October 27 to allow for a humanitarian operation to begin, TASS reported.

The plight of Alyoshki was discussed by Presidents Putin and Trump in their recent phone conversation, and Pope Leo weighed in as well in his own conversations with Putin and Ukraine’s Zelensky. The deal was put in place and finalized, thanks to the efforts of the First Lady of the United States Melania Trump, according to the Kremlin. “The Russian Federation welcomes the efforts [of the First Lady,]… who has made a substantial contribution to coordinating the humanitarian operation in the town of Alyoshki in the Kherson Region,” Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated. “Representatives of the respective defense ministries are coordinating the timing of a ceasefire to enable the humanitarian mission in Alyoshki to proceed; those wishing to leave the town will be able to do so,” TASS reported. Peskov explained that it would take several days to complete the evacuation procedure.

The White House reported similarly that Melania Trump and her representative collaborated with the leadership of Russia and Ukraine “to define the terms of the localized ceasefire.” She “initiated discussions with both nations and aligned the parties on the agreement’s objectives, technical procedures, timing, processes, and terms, in her formal role as Exclusive Intermediary.”