Ukraine Evacuates Civilians as Kherson Ceasefire Concludes

The localised ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which was limited to the eastern Kherson region, has officially ended. This truce was notable for being the longest multi-day ceasefire during the ongoing conflict, lasting six days without any reported violations from either side. However, with the ceasefire now concluded, there are no indications of an extension.

During the truce, hundreds of residents from the besieged Russian-occupied town of Oleshky were able to evacuate through a rare collaboration between Ukrainian and Russian authorities. As the ceasefire concluded on Sunday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported significant Russian strikes elsewhere, which resulted in power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of households.

In an update, it was revealed that Russian authorities reported substantial damage to an industrial facility following drone strikes from Ukraine in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The ceasefire in Oleshky was achieved following mediation efforts involving notable figures, including Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV. Upon the ceasefire's expiration at 10:59 PM Ukrainian time (20:59 GMT), Melania Trump expressed her satisfaction on social media, stating that the ceasefire was “a success, delivering critical aid to the region and enabling the evacuation of nearly 800 people.” She added her hope that this cooperation would lay the groundwork for lasting peace between the two nations.

Pope Leo XIV reiterated these sentiments, expressing that the cooperative efforts led to a necessary humanitarian action, which he hoped would inspire renewed dialogue and peace initiatives.

On the final day of the ceasefire, Ukraine’s military confirmed the evacuation of an additional 167 civilians, including 22 children and 21 individuals requiring special assistance. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, these evacuations were conducted in coordination with local authorities, moving civilians to safer locations within the Kherson region.

The number of individuals reported to be in Oleshky at the start of the truce was approximately 2,000. These residents were given the option to either move to Kyiv-controlled areas, Russian-held territories, or remain in the town, provided they had adequate food and medical supplies.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Moscow viewed the evacuation operation positively and praised the coordination between the human rights commissioners of both countries. In contrast, a Ukrainian official indicated that Russia had declined an offer to extend the ceasefire, following a proposal from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces have maintained control over significant portions of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in addition to most of the southern Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin cautioned residents as the ceasefire was set to expire, advising them to avoid the so-called 'red zones' near the Dnipro River due to the heightened risk of Russian strikes. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the city of Kherson, which remains under Ukrainian control, was one of calm despite concerns over the impending end of the ceasefire.

Oleksandr Knyha, head of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theatre, encouraged audience members to remain hopeful and resilient during a concert on the final day of the ceasefire.

In addition to developments in Kherson, both Moscow and Kyiv continued their airstrike campaigns. President Zelenskyy noted that Russian forces are targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure as winter approaches. Attacks on power lines have led to widespread outages across four Ukrainian regions, with fresh assaults causing casualties, including the deaths of three individuals in Vinnytsia when a drone struck a vocational school.

The Air Force of Ukraine reported that 433 drone assaults occurred overnight, with 371 of these being neutralised. Similarly, a Ukrainian drone offensive over Nizhny Novgorod resulted in over 100 drones being shot down, causing a fire at the Kstovo oil refinery, as per reports from Russian media outlets.

In a show of defence, Zelenskyy asserted that Ukraine is committed to countering Russian aggression and will take steps to dismantle Russia's operational capabilities to sustain its military actions.