Humanitarian mission planned for occupied Oleshky as routes are cleared of mines for aid deliveries and civilian evacuations

29.10.2026, 10:59 rubryka.com

Humanitarian aid for Oleshky and the ceasefire

On Thursday, October 29, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, reported that demining operations in Oleshky are proceeding successfully.

"This is an important stage in ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and enabling civilians who wish to leave the city to evacuate," the ombudsman said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side is assembling a shipment scheduled for delivery to Oleshky on October 30.

According to Lubinets, the ceasefire began on October 27 at 3 a.m. Kyiv time. As of Thursday, it had been in effect for 54 hours. The ombudsman emphasized that both sides were adhering to the agreed arrangements and that no ceasefire violations had been recorded.

Lubinets also said he was in regular contact with his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, with whom he coordinates the implementation of the agreements reached.

The ombudsman expressed particular gratitude to US First Lady Melania Trump, who, he said, is personally devoting time and attention to the humanitarian mission and assistance for Oleshky's civilian residents.

"We continue working to implement the agreements. Our task is to deliver humanitarian aid to the people who remain in the city and ensure that civilians have the opportunity to leave safely," Lubinets said.

US First Lady Melania Trump said on October 29 on the social media platform X that four American journalists from Newsmax would work directly in the occupied city of Oleshky to document the humanitarian mission.

According to Trump, representatives of the American media will liaise with both Ukrainian and Russian leaders of humanitarian organizations. The journalists are expected to document the mission as independent observers.

"Acting as neutral observers, they will independently record and document this historic humanitarian mission," Melania Trump wrote.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin's special representative, Kirill Dmitriev, announced that Newsmax journalists would be involved in covering the humanitarian mission.

Ukrainian journalist Ostap Yarysh, based in Washington, drew attention to the role of Mark Beckman, who is responsible for the plan to evacuate people from Oleshky in the United States. Beckman is Melania Trump's private adviser and a producer of Melania, a documentary about the US first lady. The film was funded by Amazon.

Beckman's professional background is in marketing, media, and cultural projects. He founded the advertising agency DMA United, which works with well-known brands in the fashion, entertainment, and sports industries.

As Yarysh notes, Beckman's professional portfolio includes no diplomatic, political, or humanitarian experience. He is not a US government official and does not work in the first lady's office. On social media, Beckman describes his role as "exclusive senior adviser."

Ukraine hands Russia list of countries for monitoring detention facilities

Dmytro Lubinets separately reported on talks with the Russian side regarding the possible activities of a new monitoring group. The group could inspect the conditions in which Ukrainian citizens are held in places of detention, with the participation of representatives of other countries.

According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, during the latest talks he handed the Russian side a list of countries whose representatives could take part in the work and carry out monitoring.

He explained that the list was compiled with consideration for the nature of relations between the respective countries, Ukraine, and Russia. According to Lubinets, countries whose representatives the Russian side would likely refuse to admit to places where Ukrainians are being held were excluded from the list.

As a reminder, on October 27, in connection with a humanitarian operation in the area of Oleshky in the Kherson region, the parties introduced a ceasefire. Ukraine's General Staff urged citizens to handle information cautiously, rely on official statements, and refrain from disclosing details about the movements of civilians and humanitarian convoys.

On October 28, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported that the ceasefire in Oleshky, Kherson region, had passed without a single incident over 30 hours. The truce was introduced to enable a humanitarian mission and the evacuation of civilians.