Ukrainians Confirm the Melania-Backed Ceasefire Is Holding Up

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets confirmed that there was a defining effort happening on Wednesday. There is a “Road of Death” riddled with landmines on the path out of the community, according to the Atlantic Council. 

“Since October 27, the ceasefire has been in effect in designated areas, and the parties have been observing it. Route demining is currently underway,” he posted to X. “This is a crucial step toward ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and enabling civilians who wish to leave the city to do so.”

“This effort is being carried out through the mediation and coordination of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump […] who has helped the parties reach the necessary agreement and move toward its practical implementation,” he wrote. 

He posted earlier that “30 hours of the ceasefire in Oleshky have passed without a single incident" and also shared images of life appearing to return to normal in the Kherson region, where the ceasefire is also being honored. 

Kherson: Monitoring Compliance with the Ceasefire ☝️ “The most important thing is peace.” These are the words we hear most often from people in the Kherson region today. During his conversations with local residents, my Representative, Vasyl Donets, heard numerous requests to continue efforts aimed at securing the ceasefire. For the second day in a row, we have been monitoring and verifying compliance with the ceasefire. ❗️The ceasefire has had a tangible impact on the city itself. Kherson, which had been under constant shelling, has literally come back to life. There are more people on the streets, and urban life has picked up. People are going outside without fear, taking walks and enjoying the autumn sunshine. What may be an ordinary part of everyday life for some is now the greatest wish of Kherson residents. Let me remind you that, as of 12:00, the Ukrainian and Russian sides continue to fully honor the agreement. The ceasefire began on October 27 at 03:00 Kyiv time (04:00 Moscow time) and will remain in effect until November 1 at 22:59. This will enable us to carry out a humanitarian mission that we are conducting jointly with Yana Lantratova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, with the mediation and coordination of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS). As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I will keep the public and the media promptly informed about the progress of the mission and compliance with the agreement. I understand just how much attention this issue is receiving. ‼️But behind all the negotiations, agreements and diplomatic efforts, there are, first and foremost, people — their lives, their safety and their hope for a peaceful future. And it is for their sake that we must continue this work.

— Dmytro Lubinets (@lubinetzs) October 28, 2026

❗️Humanitarian Mission to Oleshky: Route Demining Underway Together with Yana Lantratova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, we continue preparations for a humanitarian mission to assist the civilian population of Oleshky. This effort is being carried out through the mediation and coordination of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS), who has helped the parties reach the necessary agreement and move toward its practical implementation. 👉 Since October 27, the ceasefire has been in effect in designated areas, and the parties have been observing it. Route demining is currently underway. This is a crucial step toward ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and enabling civilians who wish to leave the city to do so. Within the framework of the agreement reached by Yana Lantratova and me as heads of the negotiating teams, we continue working to implement the mission. Our shared goal is to ensure that people receive assistance and have the opportunity to reach safety. We remain committed to this effort, putting the lives and safety of civilians first.

— Dmytro Lubinets (@lubinetzs) October 28, 2026

On Tuesday evening, the First Lady wrote that “both nations have upheld their obligations pursuant to the humanitarian mission, as of 5:30pm Kyiv time on October 27, 2026.” 

The ceasefire could be a promising sign as wider talks are underway in hopes of the war reaching a true conclusion after Russia’s attempted invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Technical talks between the Russians, Ukrainians and Americans could kick off soon, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying it is his “hope” it will happen early next month, according to a recent interview with The Sun.

Zelenskyy: I hope the trilateral talks with Russia will take place in the first half of November, not the second. When Ukraine and the US decide to meet, the meeting needs outcomes. Without outcomes, a meeting is not right. 1/ https://t.co/eQuFKeJC2a

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) October 28, 2026

U.S. Special Envoy Witkoff echoed a similar sentiment last Wednesday after he and Jared Kushner met with Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“These discussions were constructive, and will continue with trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level,” he wrote at the time. 

“While there is still important work left to do, President Trump remains committed to seeing this war end and achieving a comprehensive, durable peace that will provide security and prosperity for generations to come,” Witkoff continued. 

In Oslo and St. Petersburg, @JaredKushner and I met with Russian, Ukrainian, and European leaders to advance President Trump’s mission to end the war. In St. Petersburg, we met with President Putin to build on the progress made in Oslo with President Zelenskyy, discuss a peace framework, and thank President Putin for releasing American citizen Stephen Hubbard to return home to his family. These discussions were constructive, and will continue with trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine at the technical level. While there is still important work left to do, President Trump remains committed to seeing this war end and achieving a comprehensive, durable peace that will provide security and prosperity for generations to come.

— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) October 21, 2026