A ceasefire launched to allow humanitarian supplies into the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky has been widened to cover the whole southern region of Kherson, according to sources. No violations of the truce, which began early on Tuesday, had been reported by the end of the day.
US First Lady Melania Trump, who helped broker the arrangement together with Pope Leo XIV, said on X that the area under the ceasefire had expanded beyond Oleshky to provide "safe passage" for aid convoys. The press secretary to Ukraine's public ombudsman backed that account, as did Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of Kherson, who said Russian shelling had stopped in both Kherson city, which Ukraine controls, and the surrounding region.
Under the deal, the truce is to be followed by aid deliveries to Oleshky and then by evacuations on Friday for anyone who wants to leave. Roads are meant to be cleared of mines so supplies can possibly enter the city on Thursday. Russia's defence ministry said units of its Dnepr group had been carrying out "engineering reconnaissance" and clearing access roads of explosive and booby-trap devices.
Both sides say the truce is holding. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said everything was going "according to plan" and thanked US mediators, particularly representatives of Melania Trump. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that if the ceasefire delivers results, it could "pave the way for other steps in the peace process". David Arakhamia, a senior figure in President Volodymyr Zelensky's parliamentary party, said it will last until 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday 1 November and called it the "largest de-escalation since 2022".
Oleshky had 24,000 residents before the war but was seized by Russia in the first days of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in the city, with a few thousand more in nearby areas. They have no access to food, water or electricity, and no shops are open. The city has been without power, gas and water since the Kakhovka Dam was blown up in 2023, causing flooding that killed many people there. Residents have told the BBC they are cooking garden weeds to survive. Routes out are mined and exposed to drone attacks, and one woman said she stepped on a landmine and has had two operations in hospital, fearing she will miss the evacuation.
Details of the evacuation remain unclear, and residents are wary of giving officials their names and addresses. A local volunteer said about 500 people had already expressed interest by Tuesday afternoon. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed head of occupied areas of Kherson, said temporary housing has been prepared in the region, in Crimea, and in Russia's Rostov, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions. He claimed most residents wished to leave and stay in Russia, but that has not been corroborated on the ground.
Some residents and relatives fear Russia may not let them return to Ukraine or may inspect their phones for signs of Ukrainian support. Zelensky warned that civilians leaving by routes demined by Russia will "head towards Russia and stay there", while saying some would reach Ukrainian-held territory "one way or another". Serhii, who fled Oleshky through minefields about three weeks ago and eventually returned to Ukraine via Russia and Belarus, said "you simply cannot trust the Russian Federation". Bridges over the Dnipro are destroyed and the riverbank is reportedly mined, so crossing directly appears impossible. Ukraine's general staff urged people not to spread unverified reports about routes, timings and convoys.
In Kherson city, local reports said no explosions or drone injuries had been recorded since 03:00 on Tuesday, and cars and pedestrians were moving freely. "Judging from the fact that more people are walking around, it feels a bit calmer," resident Galina Kyrychenko told public broadcaster Suspilne.
