Key facts
- A temporary ceasefire around Oleshky is set to begin on October 27.
- The agreement was brokered by the US with mediation from Melania Trump and Pope Leo.
- Vitaly, a refugee from Oleshky, expressed deep scepticism about the ceasefire's ability to hold or improve the humanitarian situation.
- Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since February 2022 and has faced severe humanitarian challenges.
- Vitaly's family fled Oleshky on September 13 due to food scarcity and damaged housing.
A Ukrainian man, Vitaly, who fled the occupied town of Oleshky, has expressed deep scepticism regarding a temporary ceasefire brokered by the US, set to commence on Tuesday. Vitaly and his family escaped Oleshky on September 13, fearing starvation and seeking refuge in the Kyiv region. He believes the truce, announced by the White House with mediation from US first lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, is unlikely to hold or significantly improve the dire humanitarian situation in his hometown. Oleshky, located across the Dnipro river from Kherson, has been under Russian occupation since February 2022 and has suffered from a lack of basic services and severe food scarcity, exacerbated by drone attacks and the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.