Russia and Ukraine say Oleshky ceasefire has begun
Russia and Ukraine say they are observing the local pause, intended to bring aid to trapped residents before a voluntary evacuation planned for 30 October.
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Russia and Ukraine say they are observing the local pause, intended to bring aid to trapped residents before a voluntary evacuation planned for 30 October.
Russia and Ukraine say a ceasefire began around Russian-occupied Oleshky on 27 October to allow aid deliveries and voluntary civilian evacuation. Ukrainian officials also confirmed that the pause extended beyond the city into the wider Kherson region.
Russian forces seized Oleshky during the opening days of the February 2022 full-scale invasion. The city lies on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, opposite Ukrainian-held Kherson. Mines and drone attacks have made the roads out dangerous.
US first lady Melania Trump said on 27 October that the area covered by the ceasefire had expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson region, to give humanitarian convoys safe passage. Ukraine’s human rights commissioner’s office corroborated the expansion, the BBC said in its 27 October report. Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, Kherson’s deputy head, said Russian shelling had stopped in Ukrainian-held Kherson city and the wider region.
Davyd Arakhamia, who leads President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party in Ukraine’s parliament, said the ceasefire would continue until 22:59 Ukrainian time on 1 November. He described it as the “largest de-escalation since 2022”.
Both sides said the ceasefire was being observed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the operation was proceeding “according to plan” and credited US mediation, particularly Melania Trump’s representatives. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said results from the ceasefire could “pave the way for other steps in the peace process”.
Witnesses described the frontline across the Dnipro as quiet on 27 October for the first time in four years, in accounts carried by the Guardian
Ukraine is awaiting US confirmation of the proposed Abu Dhabi meeting, where Zelenskyy wants ceasefires and humanitarian issues discussed.
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Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said on 18 October that an agreement appeared close. On 23 October, the White House credited Melania Trump and her representative with working directly with Russian and Ukrainian leaders on the terms. Arakhamia announced preparations to unblock Oleshky and its surroundings, while Peskov confirmed the agreement and said residents wishing to leave could do so.
Russia said it would open a humanitarian corridor—a designated route for aid and civilian departures. Russia’s Defence Ministry subsequently described its halt in fire towards Kherson as preparation for the operation. Lubinets, who heads Ukraine’s negotiating team, confirmed that Ukraine was honouring its commitments.
| Party and status | Start date and time |
|---|---|
| Ukraine’s earlier announced plan | 27 October, 02:00 GMT |
| Russia’s earlier announced plan | 27 October, 02:00 GMT |
| White House’s initial announcement | 29 October |
| Russia’s Defence Ministry’s account on 27 October | 27 October, 01:00 GMT |
The United Nations says residents face severe shortages of food and medicine. Accounts of survival have included weeds, boiled grass, bread, pickles and meagre rations. Residents interviewed by the BBC in September described constant shelling, isolation from food and water, and only one partly functioning hospital, opening a few days a week for critical amputations.
The White House said most remaining city residents were older people unable to leave. Its estimates cover the city, a smaller area than Ukraine’s estimate for Oleshky and surrounding settlements.
| Population measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| City residents before the full-scale invasion | Roughly 24,000 |
| Remaining city residents, White House estimate on 23 October | 1,700–2,000 |
| Children remaining in the city, White House estimate on 23 October | Approximately 50 |
| Residents in the city and surrounding areas, Ukrainian estimate | Some 6,000 |
| Children in the city and surrounding areas, Ukrainian estimate | 200 |
| Residents in surrounding areas, estimate on 27 October | A few thousand |
No shops are open. The city has lacked electricity, gas and water since the Kakhovka Dam was blown up in 2023, flooding the area and killing residents. Ukraine’s attempts to deliver supplies have been unsuccessful in recent months, the BBC said on 27 October. Ukraine accuses Russia of preventing residents from leaving; Russia denies that allegation.
The reported halt in shelling is the first stage of the operation, not confirmation that aid has arrived. Negotiators said doctors, medicine, food and water would reach Oleshky before evacuation corridors opened, in a 27 October account carried by Al Jazeera.
Lubinets told Reuters on 23 October that the mission would involve clearing mines from roads into Oleshky, delivering food and evacuating civilians. He described implementation as gradual and extremely challenging: ceasefire first, aid second and free civilian departures third. Russia’s Defence Ministry said on 27 October that its troops were inspecting and clearing the main access roads of explosives and booby traps.
Under the arrangements Melania Trump described, civilian officials from both countries would visit residents at home to assess their needs. People choosing to evacuate would receive support and transport to their preferred destination; she anticipated that some would choose Russia and others Ukraine. The White House described a designated safe passageway for departures.
An earlier 27 October account described plans for buses to take residents to Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia. A volunteer told the Associated Press that some residents feared Russian officials might screen evacuees for pro-Ukrainian views or ties.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed head of occupied parts of Kherson, said temporary accommodation had been prepared locally, in Russian-annexed Crimea and in Russia’s Rostov, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions. He said most Oleshky residents wanted to leave and stay in Russia; that account has not been corroborated on the ground.
Evacuation destinations and guarantees of onward travel remain unsettled. Residents and relatives speaking to the BBC feared that Russia might prevent evacuees from returning to Ukraine or inspect their phones and online activity for signs of Ukrainian support. Zelensky warned that roads cleared by Russia would send evacuees towards Russia, and said he wanted those trapped to be able to evacuate to Ukraine.
The earlier schedule allowed for evacuation to begin on 29 or 30 October. The BBC’s later 27 October account put voluntary evacuation on 30 October, with supplies possibly reaching Oleshky on 29 October after roads were cleared of mines.
Britain’s government sets out £7 billion in economic support over three years and £3 billion in export-finance capacity, prioritising military support through the latter.
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The October 23 agreement envisages humanitarian deliveries and repatriation efforts across Kherson communities after the immediate Oleshky mission, with Melania Trump helping coordinate.
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