Ukraine: Six-day localized ceasefire in Oleshky comes to end

The humanitarian corridor in the southern Kherson region, which was the longest pause in fighting since the full-scale invasion began, has officially closed.

Ukraine offered to extend the ceasefire, but Russia rejected the proposal, leaving the temporary truce to expire at 11 p.m. local time on Sunday.

Ukraine's Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the end of the ceasefire, describing it as an 'important step in our joint humanitarian efforts' with Russia.

Civilians evacuated from Oleshky

Hundreds of people returned to safety in Ukraine after the truce allowed for a rare evacuation from the besieged city of Oleshky.

Residents, who had lived under Russian occupation for four years, traveled on a bus through Russia and Belarus to enter Ukrainian territory.

The Ukrainian military evacuated a further 167 civilians on Sunday, including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility.

Among the evacuees were families who described years of isolation, food shortages, and regular shelling, with some saying they survived by eating grass and dogs as supplies ran out.

The rescue operation brought families back together at a reception point in northern Ukraine, where relatives, volunteers, and local residents welcomed the arrivals.

Mixed reactions to the truce

Local residents in the Kherson region greeted the six-day ceasefire with relief, calling it a 'breath of fresh air'.

Volodymyr Omeltchenko, a 38-year-old gardener, told the AFP news agency that the time was needed to prepare for winter.

He said, 'We have to use this time to get things done. We're pruning the rose bushes for winter.'

Pope Leo XIV, who had pressed Russia to agree to the truce, expressed hope that the pause would 'strengthen the desire for dialogue and lead to new concrete peace initiatives'.

However, a Ukrainian military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern that the fighting would be 'worse than before' when it resumes.

The officer said Russian forces had used the calm to amass new troops and ammunition stocks, and to collect intelligence on Ukrainian positions.

Ukraine's next steps

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday evening to discuss preparations for a three-way summit between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.

Zelenskyy said the meeting would be held in the first half of November and that the format would include ways to involve Turkey and all of Europe.

He stated, 'At every level, Russia must be sent signals that there is no alternative to peace and that support for Ukraine will not diminish.'

The two leaders also discussed security issues concerning shipping through the Black Sea, including food security.

Zelenskyy said he and Erdogan agreed to work on a Black Sea grain corridor to ensure it operates effectively.

Continued Russian attacks

While the ceasefire was in effect in Oleshky, Russian drone attacks continued elsewhere in Ukraine.

A drone attack on Koziatyn in central Ukraine killed at least three people and injured four others, including three children.

A 13-year-old girl was among those who died, and two five-year-old children and a 16-year-old boy sustained injuries.

Russian drone strikes were also reported in the western region of Chernivtsi, where one person was injured and an administrative building was severely damaged.

Hundreds of thousands of households lost electricity after overnight Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure in four Ukrainian regions, including Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyi.