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The White House said Friday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to allow for aid in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky and prepare an evacuation route for civilians, even as Kyiv complained that crucial Starlink service had yet to be restored.
The humanitarian arrangement is due to begin Oct. 29, according to the White House statement, which credited First Lady Melania Trump with brokering the agreement.
“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine,” the first lady said in a statement.
The Ukrainian government did not immediately confirm the announcement.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a SpaceX satellite internet service slowdown that he’s blamed on the US has still not been fully restored. The Ukrainian military relies on Elon Musk’s Starlink service, and the slower speeds have made it more difficult to intercept Russian projectiles — fueling a rift between Kyiv and the Trump administration.
During an event hosted by the Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank, Zelenskyy said Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured him unlimited speeds would be restored within 48 to 72 hours, but that has yet to occur.
“We hope that SpaceX and American administration will do it,” he told the audience. “Because we count on such decisions.”
The city of Oleshky has been the center of a humanitarian crisis, with food and medicine in short supply and residents lacking running water and electricity, according to reports. The city was captured by Russian forces early in their invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the situation there has worsened.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the effort, saying Melania Trump “made a significant contribution to coordinating the humanitarian operation,” Tass reported. The evacuation could take several days, the state-run news service cited him as saying.
The White House statement said an “impartial American media organization” will accompany Russian and Ukrainian officials during the process, but did not provide further details.
Ukraine has previously sought a ceasefire to help evacuate civilians from the city but Russia has rebuffed those efforts.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the pontiff expressed “deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky.”
The pope also spoke with Zelenskyy, separately, on Monday to express hopes for cooperation between Ukraine and Russia to allow for deliveries of food and medicine and for the safe and voluntary evacuation of civilians.
Published on October 24, 2026
English (US) ·