Ceasefire Extended Across Kherson Region to Enable Aid to Oleshky
A truce intended to bring food and medicine to Russian-occupied Oleshky has been extended across the wider Kherson region. Officials say shelling has stopped…
Russian-occupied Oleshky has been cut off from food, water and electricity, leaving thousands of residents trapped. A ceasefire intended to get humanitarian aid into the city has now been extended across the wider Kherson region, officials and other sources say.
The truce began early on Tuesday, and no breaches have so far been reported. US First Lady Melania Trump said the expanded area would provide safe passage for humanitarian convoys, while a Ukrainian official said Russian shelling had stopped in Kherson city and across the region.
The change could clear a route for deliveries and, later, evacuations. Residents have struggled to survive, and roads out remain dangerous because of mines and drone attacks.
Oleshky is on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro river. Several thousand people are trapped there, with Russian forces on the other side of the river and roads out considered too dangerous to use.
An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in the city, with a few thousand more in surrounding areas. Some residents have resorted to cooking garden weeds, telling the BBC they are suffering extreme hunger and want to leave.
Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of Kherson, said the shelling had stopped both in Kherson city, which is under Ukrainian control, and the wider region. The press secretary to Ukraine's public ombudsman also confirmed the expansion, according to the BBC.
Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the ceasefire was proceeding “according to plan” and praised US mediation, particularly representatives of Melania Trump. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a successful truce could “pave the way for other steps in the peace process”.
Aid and evacuation plans
The agreement is intended to allow mine-clearing work on roads before aid reaches Oleshky. Deliveries may enter on Thursday, while evacuations for residents who wish to leave are planned for Friday.
David Arakhamia, an official in President Volodymyr Zelensky's parliamentary party, said the truce would continue until 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday 1 November. He called it the “largest de-escalation since 2022”.
Russia's defence ministry said units from the army's Dnepr group were carrying out “engineering reconnaissance” and clearing main access roads into the village of explosive and booby-trap devices.
Getting people out remains difficult. Routes from Oleshky have been mined and exposed to drone attacks, while residents are wary of sharing their names and addresses with officials involved in evacuation arrangements.
A local volunteer told the BBC that about 500 people had expressed interest in leaving by Tuesday afternoon. One woman, now in hospital after stepping on a landmine and undergoing two operations, told the BBC: “I don't know how long I will have to spend there.” She fears she may not be able to join the evacuation.
The truce followed appeals by Pope Leo XIV, who earlier this month urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow food and medical aid into Oleshky and enable a safe evacuation. He also urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work with Moscow on a ceasefire. The White House said last week that Melania Trump had secured a truce.
Before the war, Oleshky had 24,000 residents. Russia seized the city during the first days of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has had no electricity, gas or water since the Kakhovka Dam was blown up in 2023, flooding the area and killing many people in Oleshky itself.
The ceasefire is due to continue until 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday 1 November.
Source: bbc.co.uk
