DOMINANT ANGLE
Ankara first took note of the Kremlin's confirmation: the Olechky ceasefire reads like a diplomatic signal between Moscow, Washington, and Kiev, carried by Melania Trump.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Kremlin confirmed on Friday through Dmitry Peskov the ceasefire agreement in Olechky, which the White House says is set to begin on October 29 (Daily Sabah).
- 02
The White House estimates that 1,700-2,000 residents remain, out of approximately 24,000 before the war, mostly elderly people (Bianet).
- 03
Peskov indicated that the agreement was discussed during a recent Putin-Trump call and that the evacuation is expected to take several days (Daily Sabah).
ANALYSIS
Ankara, October 24, 2026. The Turkish press is reporting the announcement of a local ceasefire in Olechky (Oleshky), a city in the Kherson region occupied by Russia since February 2022, on the Dnieper River opposite Kherson. Daily Sabah headlines the Russian confirmation of a ceasefire "negotiated by Melania Trump": on Friday, the Kremlin indicated that Moscow and Kiev had agreed on a temporary pause, which the White House says is set to begin on October 29.
The pro-government daily highlights the statement by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov: "We welcome the efforts of the American First Lady, who made a significant contribution to coordinating the humanitarian operation." Peskov specifies that Russian and Ukrainian military personnel are setting the schedule for the ceasefire, that all civilians who want to leave will be able to do so, and that the evacuation is expected to last several days. The newspaper adds that the agreement was also discussed during a recent phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, which places the episode in the context of American-Russian contacts.
According to the White House, cited by Daily Sabah, Melania Trump initiated the discussions and worked through an intermediary with officials from both countries. Russian and Ukrainian civilian representatives will visit the residents to assess their needs, and those who want to leave will be transported to their destination of choice, in Ukraine or Russia. The First Lady considers the situation "disastrous" and describes the city as "on the brink of catastrophe".
Bianet, an independent media outlet, focuses more on the human aspect. Before the war, Olechky had a population of around 24,000; the White House now estimates it to be between 1,700 and 2,000, mostly elderly people, including about fifty children, according to the website. About 90% of the city's territory has been flooded since the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023. Food, drinking water, medicine, and electricity have been in short supply for a long time, and mined roads and ongoing attacks are complicating aid efforts.
Bianet also highlights what the announcement leaves open: the duration of the ceasefire is not specified, and at the time of the report, neither Moscow nor Kiev had issued a statement. Peskov's confirmation, reported by Daily Sabah, later fills part of this gap on the Russian side.
