Kherson Ceasefire Ends After Russia Declines Extension

The longest localised ceasefire of the Ukraine war ended on Sunday night after Russia declined an offer to extend the pause in fighting across the Kherson region.

The truce began early on 27 October and covered Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town on the left bank of the Dnipro river, and surrounding areas. It allowed a humanitarian mission to deliver aid and evacuate residents trapped by mines, drones and the river.

Ukrainian officials said the pause expired at 22:59 local time on 1 November. Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the end. He described the temporary halt as an important step in joint humanitarian efforts with Russia.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported that its units, working with local authorities, evacuated 167 civilians to safer points in the Kherson region on Sunday. The group included 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility who needed special assistance.

The operation followed earlier evacuations of residents from Oleshky itself. Buses carried people out of the occupied town on Friday. Some travelled through Russia into Belarus before returning to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

US First Lady Melania Trump helped broker the deal, with involvement from Pope Leo. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had said earlier that successful results could open the way for further steps. Lawmaker David Arakhamia called the truce the largest de-escalation since 2022.

Neither side reported violations during the six days. Fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine. Residents in Kherson city described the quiet as a brief relief. One gardener, Volodymyr Omeltchenko, 38, told reporters he used the time to prune rose bushes for winter.

Kherson region governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to stay out of so-called red zones near the Dnipro. He warned of risks as the pause neared its end.

Ukraine’s General Staff later stated that Russian forces used the pause to rotate units, fortify positions, expand anti-drone measures along roads and increase logistics activity, including ammunition deliveries. The staff said Ukrainian units observed the agreements and limited their actions to the humanitarian framework.

An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remained in Oleshky before the evacuations. Many had gone years without reliable electricity, food or water. Routes out were mined. Some residents cooked garden weeds to survive.

Russian forces occupy most of the left-bank areas of Kherson region. The river forms a natural barrier. Ukrainian forces hold the right bank, including the city of Kherson.

The ceasefire was the most significant multi-day pause since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. It did not cover other fronts. Overnight strikes cut power to thousands of households in Dnipro and Kyiv regions as the Kherson pause ended.

Ukrainian officials expressed concern that fighting could intensify. One military officer, speaking anonymously, said the return of hostilities might prove worse than before. Russian forces had time to regroup across the river.

Washington indicated that mediation efforts would continue. No immediate reports of resumed shelling in the specific zone appeared on Monday morning, though alerts remained active across the region.

The episode shows the narrow limits of localised deals. Humanitarian corridors can open for days, yet broader negotiations remain stalled. Residents in Kherson now prepare for the return of daily drone and artillery fire while tracking whether any further pauses emerge.