Russia has suspended military strikes across the Ukrainian province of Kherson as a localized ceasefire took effect to facilitate an upcoming humanitarian mission. The pause in hostilities began at 01:00 GMT on Tuesday, according to the Russian Defence Ministry, opening a temporary window for aid deliveries and civilian evacuations in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky.
The humanitarian mission, scheduled to arrive later in the week, aims to address acute shortages of food, medicine, and other basic supplies in the front-line town. Negotiators confirmed that doctors alongside shipments of medicine, food supplies, and water will be brought into Oleshky before evacuation corridors are officially opened for trapped residents.
The agreement was publicly announced on October 23 following diplomatic efforts brokered by United States First Lady Melania Trump with the additional involvement of Pope Leo. Washington has pushed for the arrangement as part of broader initiatives to revive peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv following more than four and a half years of active conflict.
Up to 2,000 civilians remain stranded in Oleshky, unable to escape due to dense minefields and persistent drone attacks that plague the area, according to United Nations assessments. Located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the partially occupied Kherson region opposite Ukrainian-held Kherson city, Oleshky had a pre-war population of 24,000 people. Russian forces seized control of the settlement during the initial days of their February 2022 invasion.
The town has endured severe structural damage throughout the conflict and suffered catastrophic flooding following the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam in 2023. The current localized ceasefire is scheduled to last through Saturday, with provisions for a potential extension, though diplomats acknowledge that deep-seated mistrust between Russian and Ukrainian leadership has historically derailed previous local truce attempts.
