The ceasefire began early on Tuesday and was intended to allow humanitarian aid to reach residents, including children, and preparations to be made for a possible evacuation.
The White House announced on Friday that Melania Trump had helped secure the ceasefire.
Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the ceasefire was "part of a humanitarian mission being carried out with the mediation and coordination of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump."
While Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said she had made a significant contribution to the agreement.
Melania Trump also referred to support from Pope Leo XIV.
Digital marketing expert Mateusz Sabat said the White House gained an advantage by announcing the agreement before Moscow and Kyiv confirmed it, immediately associating it with Melania Trump.
Paul Baines, a political marketing professor at the University of Leicester, argued that Melania Trump had genuinely played an important role in reaching the agreement.
He said the White House's announcement was not an attempt to stretch the truth as part of a PR strategy, although the administration may have encouraged both sides to confirm her contribution to highlight US diplomatic success.
The announcement was particularly significant given Donald Trump's earlier claim that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, as all previous talks had failed.
Sabat said first ladies could become involved in humanitarian issues, such as child protection, where a politician's direct involvement might be politically risky. They can act as a form of soft power and as a shield, since criticism of a president's wife helping people in need can easily appear petty.
Baines cited Eleanor Roosevelt's work for European refugees before World War II and her role in helping draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the war. Sabat also mentioned Polish First Lady Marta Nawrocka and Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska as examples of first ladies pursuing their own public agendas.
Critics turned the announcement against Trump, suggesting his wife had achieved what he could not. The suggestion that credit was being claimed in connection with the Pope also undermined the credibility of the message, Sabat said.
American affairs expert Rafał Michalski linked the timing to the upcoming US midterm elections, which could limit Trump's power, including his ability to pursue foreign policy independently. He said Trump had until January 2027 to reach international agreements before the balance of power could change, potentially in both chambers of Congress.
Oleshky lies about 4 km from Kherson, on the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnipro. Ukrainian authorities had warned that the situation in the town was dire. The White House said around 2,000 people, including 50 children, were there without access to food or drinking water.
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Source: PAP