Officials say ceasefire extended across Ukraine’s Kherson region to deliver aid to Oleshky

Truce covers wider Kherson

The ceasefire began early Tuesday to make it possible to bring food and medicine into Oleshky. Sources said it was later expanded across the wider southern region of Kherson.

Ukraine’s public ombudsman press secretary and Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of Kherson, confirmed the broader truce. Tolokonnikov said Russian shelling had stopped in both Kherson city, controlled by Ukraine, and the wider region. No breaches had been reported.

The US first lady said on X that the ceasefire area had grown beyond Oleshky to allow humanitarian convoys safe passage. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said events were proceeding “according to plan,” and praised US mediation, particularly representatives of Melania Trump.

Residents face severe shortages

Oleshky has been occupied by Russia since the opening days of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Before the war, the city had 24,000 residents; an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 remain there, with a few thousand more in nearby areas.

People in Oleshky have gone years without electricity and lack access to food and water. Delivering supplies is extremely difficult, while routes out have been mined and exposed to drone attacks.

Communication with residents is patchy, and many fear reprisals if they discuss conditions. Ukraine’s military general staff urged people not to spread unverified claims about convoy or evacuation routes, timing and locations.

Evacuation plans remain uncertain

The truce is intended to allow roads to be cleared of mines so supplies might reach Oleshky on Thursday. An evacuation for residents is planned for Friday, but many details have not been made public.

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that routes cleared by Russia would direct departing civilians toward Russia. Serhii, who escaped Oleshky through minefields around three weeks ago and returned to Ukraine via Russia and Belarus, called for a route across the Dnipro that avoided Russian-occupied territory. He said people could not trust Russia.

Truce duration and local reports

David Arakhamia, a senior official in Zelensky’s parliamentary party, said the ceasefire would run until 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday 1 November. He called it the “largest de-escalation since 2022.” Pope Leo earlier appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to permit food and medical aid and a safe evacuation from Oleshky. He also urged Zelensky to work with Moscow on a ceasefire. In Kherson city, local reports said there had been no explosions or drone-related injuries since 03:00 (01:00 GMT) Tuesday, and that cars and pedestrians were moving freely.