Oleshky Ceasefire Expires as Ukraine Evacuates More Civilians from Kherson

The longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion ended on Sunday night as the temporary ceasefire around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson region expired.

The six-day silence regime, brokered with involvement from U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, began early on October 27 and was due to end at 22:59 Ukrainian time on November 1. Neither side reported violations inside the designated area during the period. Fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine.

Ukraine's military said it evacuated 167 civilians from threatened areas of southern Kherson region on Sunday, including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility. The General Staff said units of the South group of forces worked with local authorities to move people to safer points. Earlier in the week busloads of residents had left Oleshky itself. Emotional reunions were reported among families separated for years.

An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remained in Oleshky when the truce began. Residents had faced severe shortages of food, water and electricity for years, with some cooking garden weeds. The town sits on the eastern bank of the Dnipro, opposite Ukrainian-held Kherson city. Routes out had been mined and subject to drone attack.

A Ukrainian official told AFP that Russia refused an offer to extend the ceasefire after Kyiv's Foreign Ministry proposed it. Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to stay vigilant and avoid so-called red zones near the river. Ukraine's air raid alert system sent false warnings of radiation and chemical threats on Sunday evening after what the air force described as hostile interference.

David Arakhamiia, leader of the Servant of the People faction, had called the arrangement the largest de-escalation since 2022. The operation included plans for mine clearance and aid deliveries. With the pause over, residents on both sides of the river expect the return of regular strikes. U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to resume later this month.

The limited nature of the truce left most of the front line active. Russian strikes cut power to thousands of people elsewhere in Ukraine on Sunday. The humanitarian window allowed several hundred people to leave Oleshky and surrounding areas, but thousands remain under occupation with uncertain access to supplies once fighting resumes.