Starlink access for Ukraine limited after Trump’s claims satellite service restored, officials say – Europe live

The White House has issued a statement saying Melania Trump has helped broker a ‘ceasefire’ in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, where residents have been enduring a worsening humanitarian crisis due to the lack of food, electricity and other resources.

The small town in southern Kherson has been the centre of an increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis under Russian occupation.

Since May, Russia has failed to deliver food, medicine or other essential goods to the area leading to deaths from starvation and disease. There has also been problems with the burial of bodies and sanitation, as the local morgue has been destroyed and there is no running water. Russia and Ukraine have accused the other of blocking supplies to the population of the ⁠town ​which Ukrainian forces ​want to retake. Ukraine has previously appealed for a ceasefire to evacuate the estimated 2,000 civilians left in the town – but Russia hadn’t made any commitments.

Earlier this week, Pope Leo called for an intervention while the Kremlin said Putin had discussed the situation with Donald Trump.

The White House now say both countries have agreed to pause military action “to allow for humanitarian aid to enter and to prepare a civilian evacuation through a designated safe passageway. A ceasefire is set to come into effect on 29 October.

“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the ⁠brink of disaster. Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised ​primarily ​of elderly residents ​who urgently need medical attention, medicine, ​food, and ‌clean water,” Melania ​Trump ​said in the statement. “It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible,” she added.

There is no comment from Moscow or Ukraine yet. The Guardian’s international correspondents are looking into the statement and attempting to corroborate it with their sources.