The Russian Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday night that armed forces in the Cherson region of Ukraine have halted attacks in the area of the town of Cherson. The pause, described as a “local ceasefire,” is intended to allow a humanitarian operation to be carried out in the nearby village of Olešky. According to a statement posted on the ministry’s Telegram channel, the ceasefire began at 04:00 Moscow time (02:00 UTC). The ministry said that the pause would enable the delivery of food, medicine and, if necessary, the evacuation of civilians in Olešky, a settlement located on the banks of the Dnipro River just outside Cherson. The village has been under Russian occupation since the early days of the conflict. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reports that Olešky’s population has fallen from about 24,000 residents before the Russian invasion to roughly 1,700 people, including around 35 children, due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The mission notes that drone attacks in the spring of this year have repeatedly disrupted supply routes to the village. In a separate statement, Russian officials said that those who wish to leave Olešky could do so, but that the evacuation would take at least several days. The ministry did not provide details on the logistics of the operation. An unverified claim circulated that the White House had announced that the local ceasefire had helped “neutral parties” reach an agreement, citing a statement attributed to First Lady Melania Trump. No official White House statement has been released to confirm this. Similarly, an unverified report suggested that former President Donald Trump had reversed sanctions imposed after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced purchases of Russian oil. No credible source has confirmed these allegations.