Oleshky: Ukraine and Russia Begin Regional Ceasefire
The halt in hostilities aims to allow aid into the occupied town while missile strikes continue in Kyiv and other locations.
By Jessica Abebe ·
Russia and Ukraine began a regional ceasefire on Tuesday in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky to facilitate humanitarian aid and evacuations. Dmytro Lubinets, the parliamentary commissioner for human rights and head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, confirmed in a Facebook post that Kyiv is honoring its commitments to the agreement. The Russian Defence Ministry stated on Telegram that it stopped shelling in the direction of Kherson at 4 a.m. Moscow time to prepare for the operation.
The town has been under Russian control since the start of the invasion in February 2022. Located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, Oleshky faces the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson. The United States estimates that only a few thousand residents remain in the area, down from a prewar population of 24,000. Officials report acute shortages of food and medicine, exacerbated by war damage and flooding following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023.
Lubinets said the deal was coordinated with Melania Trump and Russia's human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova. Pope Leo also spoke with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to support the ceasefire effort. Prior to this week, ceasefires have generally been limited to holiday periods since the war began.
Strikes continued elsewhere despite the local truce. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones overnight. He noted casualties and hits in Kyiv, including damage to the Southern Bridge, which forced a suspension of traffic on that route. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed its forces targeted transport infrastructure in Kyiv, a logistics hub in the Kharkiv region, and industrial facilities used for military purposes.
On the Russian side, regional governor Egor Kovalchuk reported that Ukrainian drone attacks killed two men and injured six in Bryansk. Local officials in the Russian-controlled part of Zaporizhzhia region said one person was killed and 30 injured when a drone struck a bus. Reuters could not immediately verify these reports independently. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Diplomatic contacts are ongoing alongside the military developments. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Stubb described the discussion as frank and substantive, noting that the war's outcome directly affects European security. An aide for Zelenskyy confirmed the Ukrainian president was briefed by the Nordic leaders after their call.
Ukraine, Russia, and the United States agreed on Friday to meet at a technical level in Abu Dhabi in the first half of November to continue peace talks. White House envoys have been in contact with both sides in recent days as the U.S. seeks to mediate a resolution to the conflict.
