In brief
On Sunday, Ukraine’s armed forces evacuated 167 people, including 22 children and 21 disabled residents, from the southern Kherson region as a local ceasefire in Oleshky approached midnight. The truce, brokered with the help of U.S. first‑lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, had held without violations and allowed de‑mining and humanitarian deliveries. While Russian officials expressed approval of the evacuation, Ukrainian regional leaders urged caution as fighting continued elsewhere.
On Sunday, Ukrainian forces moved 167 civilians—22 children and 21 people with limited mobility—from threatened zones in the Kherson region just before a six‑day local ceasefire in Oleshky was scheduled to expire at midnight Moscow time. The evacuation was carried out by units of civil‑military cooperation from the “South” group of forces in tandem with local authorities, according to a Telegram post by the Ukrainian General Staff.
The temporary truce, which had been in place since Tuesday, was negotiated with the assistance of U.S. first‑lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, and it had become the longest pause in fighting in the southern area since Russia’s invasion in 2022. Officials said the ceasefire had held without violations from both sides and had enabled the de‑mining of roads and the delivery of food, medicine, and other supplies into Oleshky.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia viewed the evacuation positively, praising the coordination between the human‑rights commissioners of both countries. Peskov also noted that the cooperation represented a constructive step toward broader peace efforts.
"The ceasefire has provided residents with the freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack," Melania Trump wrote on X. Her comment reflected the general sentiment that the truce had improved living conditions for those still in the contested town.
Later, the pope expressed hope that the collaboration between Russia and Ukraine in implementing the Oleshky ceasefire would lay groundwork for wider peace initiatives. The statement was shared by his office as part of a diplomatic outreach aimed at reducing hostilities in the region.
Kherson governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to remain vigilant in the days after the ceasefire’s conclusion, warning against visiting “red zones” near the Dnipro River where Russian strikes continue to be intense. He highlighted that, though Ukraine had recaptured most of the region—including the city of Kherson—Oleshky remained under Russian control since February 2022.
Despite the evacuation and the brief calm, hostilities persisted elsewhere in Ukraine, with Ukrainian troops continuing their counter‑offensive operations and Russian forces maintaining positions in other contested sectors. The situation in Kherson and the surrounding areas remains fluid as both sides prepare for possible shifts in control as the ceasefire period comes to a close.
