Ukraine’s military evacuated 167 civilians—including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility—from southern Kherson region on Sunday as a six-day localized ceasefire in Oleshky expired at midnight Moscow time. The truce, brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump with involvement from Pope Leo, allowed for the evacuation of trapped residents and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Russian-occupied town, where an estimated 2,000 people—including 50 children—had been stranded for months under dire conditions.
Russia and Ukraine both reported no violations of the ceasefire during its duration, though Ukraine’s General Staff accused Russian forces of using the pause to reinforce military positions. The Kremlin did not directly address these claims but stated that both sides likely used the humanitarian pause for regrouping, calling it “standard practice.” The ceasefire’s expiration coincided with renewed hostilities, including Russian strikes on a medical facility in Kherson city center that injured two civilians, and a drone attack on a car carrying a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man.
Ceasefire Details and Humanitarian Impact
The truce, the longest localized pause in fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, enabled the evacuation of nearly 800 people from Oleshky and surrounding areas, according to First Lady Melania Trump. International aid groups had warned that Oleshky’s population—shrunk to one-twelfth of its pre-war size—faced extreme shortages of food, medicine, clean water, and hygiene supplies, with residents reportedly consuming weeds and grass to survive. Russian human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets jointly oversaw the ceasefire, traveling into Oleshky to assess conditions and publicly thanking each other for cooperation. Both called for similar initiatives elsewhere.
Accusations of Military Misuse
Ukraine’s military stated that Russian forces rotated units, expanded anti-drone defenses, and delivered ammunition during the ceasefire. Ukraine’s General Staff alleged that Moscow used the humanitarian pause to “set up their positions,” while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov countered that Ukraine likely used the pause for regrouping as well. Neither side provided independent verification of these claims. Newsweek noted it could not verify Ukraine’s accusations and had sought comment from the Russian Defense Ministry.
Aftermath and Renewed Violence
Within hours of the ceasefire’s expiration, fighting resumed in Kherson, with local authorities reporting Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure. The Kherson regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, urged residents to avoid “red zones” near the Dnipro River, where Russian strikes remained intense. The Kremlin praised the ceasefire’s coordination between Russian and Ukrainian human rights officials, while Ukraine reiterated its willingness to observe similar truce agreements nationally if conditions allowed. However, the resumption of hostilities has raised questions about the feasibility of future localized ceasefires.