Streets in the frontline Ukrainian city of Kherson enjoyed a rare moment of quiet on Wednesday, offering residents a temporary reprieve from relentless aerial attacks as a localized cease-fire took effect.
The pause in hostilities, set to last several days, began early Tuesday morning in the Kherson region. The truce was established to facilitate the evacuation of approximately 2,000 civilians facing a severe starvation crisis in the neighboring town of Oleshky, which has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. The worsening conditions in Oleshky drew intervention that helped secure a rare agreement between Russian and Ukrainian forces, allowing crews to demine the escape route and enabling civilians to leave.
Under the arrangement, evacuees from Oleshky will be given the choice to remain in Russian-controlled territory or travel to areas administered by Ukraine. Although the cease-fire was primarily designed to clear the road out of Oleshky, the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson also experienced a sudden halt in hostilities.
Kherson sits several miles across the Dnipro River from Oleshky and has faced near-constant bombardment from Russian glide bombs, missiles, and drones since Ukrainian forces pushed Russian troops across the river later in 2022. Russia has continued launching attacks on Kherson from Oleshky, but withheld fire on the city after the truce began, temporarily ending what local officials describe as a daily hazard where drones actively target civilians.
The unusual silence brought residents outdoors to navigate streets normally shielded by overhead nets designed to intercept drone strikes. Among them was eight-month-old Davyd, who took his longest walk ever on Wednesday. Kept indoors for his entire life due to constant security threats, Davyd spent more than an hour strolling through the October sun in a Mickey Mouse hat and fleece panda pants while his mother pushed his stroller past the bombed-out governor’s office.
“We wish it were like this all the time,” said the infant’s 27-year-old mother, Oleksandra, speaking on the condition she be identified only by her first name to protect her parents living under occupation across the river.
While civilians wandered the streets in bewilderment and caution, many expressed lingering surprise that the brief moment of peace had been achieved.
