Melania Trump secures Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in Oleshky, the 'Hell on Earth' where people eat garden weeds and even the dead cannot be buried

US First Lady Melania Trump claimed to have broker a local ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the war-ravaged Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of civilians, the White House announced on Friday. The localized ceasefire is scheduled to begin Thursday, according to the White House. The White House said Melania Trump initiated the discussions and worked with a representative who engaged directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders to establish the terms of the ceasefire.

The ceasefire has turned world's attention again towards the city, that is now called as the Hell on Earth.

Oleshky, the 'Hell on Earth'

Oleshky, which had a population of about 24,000 before the war, was captured by Russian forces on the first day of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then the city has been suffering constant shelling and fires that have damaged much of its infrastructure. Food and medical supplies have been scarce for months in Oleshky, located on the Dnipro River, which separates Ukrainian forces from the city occupied by Russian troops. The city has no electricity, heating or running water. Roads leading out of the town are mined and littered with burned-out cars, while drones fly overhead.


In June 2023, floodwaters inundated Oleshky after the Kakhovka Dam collapsed. An Associated Press investigation found that the Russian military was likely responsible for the explosion that caused the collapse. Hundreds of residents were killed in the disaster.

Those who remain in the city face the risk of starvation and disease as another harsh winter approaches. Ukraine has repeatedly called for a local ceasefire to facilitate civilian evacuations. Russia, as the occupying power, has obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the survival of civilians under its control.

In a September report, The Guardian described Oleshky as 'Hell on Earth'.

Oleshky residents turn to garden weeds amid food crisis

A BBC report in September also highlighted the worsening food crisis in Oleshky, where residents have resorted to eating garden weeds after running out of the vegetables they grew during the summer.

"Many residents have turned to cooking garden weeds as they have run out of the vegetables they managed to grow over the summer," the BBC quoted a resident as saying.

The resident added that people were eating only once a day, usually in the evening.

"Which weeds are safe to eat and how to boil them has become a topic of discussion on local Telegram messaging chats, along with calls between residents to sell, swap or share pieces of food," the BBC reported.

According to the broadcaster, no shops remain open in Oleshky, leaving residents struggling to obtain clothing and hygiene products. The city has also been without electricity, gas and running water since the Kakhovka Dam disaster in 2023.

Some residents have risked travelling on foot along mined roads to search for supplies, but the journeys have become increasingly dangerous.

Bodies pile up as residents struggle to bury the dead

The humanitarian crisis has also affected how residents deal with deaths in the city. According to the BBC report, residents have faced severe difficulties burying the dead, with bodies reportedly accumulating since December.

Volunteer Ksenia Arkhipova told the BBC that bodies were either piling up in the local hospital morgue, where there had been no electricity since winter, or being eaten by stray dogs.

"If you try to bury a dead body, you'll become the next one," she said, describing the dangers facing people who attempt to bury the deceased.

The proposed ceasefire could provide an opportunity to deliver essential supplies and evacuate civilians trapped in the city, where residents continue to face severe shortages and dangerous conditions.