Officials in Kyiv and Moscow say a ceasefire that began to open humanitarian access to the Russian‑occupied city of Oleshky has been extended across Ukraine’s wider Kherson region, according to BBC reporting. The Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov said the truce was proceeding “according to plan” and credited U.S. mediation, including representatives of First Lady Melania Trump, the BBC reported.
Ceasefire zone widens, calm reported
The BBC says no violations had been reported since early Tuesday. Ukraine’s public ombudsman’s press secretary and Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, identified as the deputy head of Kherson, said Russian shelling had stopped in Kherson city and across the region. On X, Melania Trump said the area covered by the truce “has expanded beyond Oleshky, within the Kherson region, to provide safe passage for the humanitarian convoys,” per the BBC.
Aid first, then evacuations—where to?
Under the arrangement described by the BBC, aid deliveries to Oleshky are to be followed by evacuations planned for Friday for those who wish to leave. Russia’s defense ministry said units from the Dnepr group were conducting engineering reconnaissance and clearing explosives on main access roads. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that routes demined by Russia would ensure civilians “head towards Russia and stay there,” according to the BBC. The outlet also cited a local volunteer saying about 500 people had expressed interest in evacuation by Tuesday afternoon, while many details of the plans remain unclear.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian‑installed head of occupied parts of Kherson, said temporary accommodation had been prepared in the region, in Russian‑annexed Crimea, and in Russia’s Rostov, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions. He told Russian media that most Oleshky residents wanted to leave and stay in Russia—an assertion the BBC says has not been corroborated on the ground.
Oleshky’s crisis
The BBC reports an estimated 1,700–2,000 people remain in Oleshky, with several thousand more in nearby areas. Residents described extreme hunger and said some were cooking garden weeds to survive. One woman told the BBC she stepped on a landmine and had undergone two operations. Communications are patchy, and some residents or relatives said they feared reprisals.
Oleshky, once home to roughly 24,000 people, has had no electricity, gas, or water since the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in 2023, flooding the area; the BBC reports many people in Oleshky died. Bridges across the Dnipro have been destroyed and sources cited by the BBC say riverbanks are mined and dangerous, making direct crossing into Ukrainian‑held territory appear impossible.
How long does it hold?
David Arakhamia, a senior figure in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, said the truce would continue until 22:59 local time on Sunday, 1 November, and called it the “largest de‑escalation since 2022,” per the BBC. Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said that if the ceasefire produces results, it could “pave the way for other steps in the peace process.”
Pope Leo XIV previously appealed to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to allow aid and safe evacuation from Oleshky and urged Ukraine’s President Zelensky to cooperate with Moscow over a ceasefire, the BBC reported. The White House said last week that Melania Trump had secured a ceasefire, according to the same report.
On the ground: quiet in Kherson city, uncertainty in Oleshky
Across the river in Ukrainian‑held Kherson city, the BBC cites local reports of no explosions heard and no drone‑related injuries since 03:00 Tuesday, with residents describing a calmer atmosphere. In Oleshky, a resident named Serhii told the BBC he fled through minefields weeks ago, returned to Ukraine via Russia and Belarus, and urged a route across the Dnipro that avoids Russian‑held areas, saying “you simply cannot trust the Russian Federation.”
Ukraine’s military general staff urged people not to share unverified information about routes, timing, or locations of humanitarian convoys, according to the BBC. This is a developing situation with limited independent verification.
