Fighting resumes in Kherson after record Ukraine ceasefire ends
A six-day truce around Oleshky allowed hundreds of civilians to leave, but strikes have now resumed in the region.
Key points
- Fighting resumed in Kherson after a six-day ceasefire, the longest of Russia's full-scale invasion, according to BBC News.
- Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky during the truce.
- Local authorities said a medical facility in Kherson city centre was hit and two civilians were injured by a drone.
- Ukraine accused Russia of using the pause to regroup, while the Kremlin said Ukraine did the same.
- The ceasefire was brokered with help from US First Lady Melania Trump, though details of her role were not shared.
Fighting has broken out again in Ukraine’s Kherson region, BBC News reports, bringing an end to a six-day truce that had brought rare calm to the front line. It was the longest ceasefire since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Now the strikes have returned.
Local officials confirmed on Monday morning that attacks had restarted. According to them, Moscow struck a medical site in the centre of Kherson city. A Russian drone also hit a vehicle, leaving a woman aged 62 and a man aged 73 wounded.
Evacuation during the truce
The ceasefire allowed hundreds of people trapped in the occupied town of Oleshky and its surroundings to leave. Many arrived in northern Ukraine on Saturday, where emotional scenes followed. Some were greeted by relatives they had not seen in years.
Evacuees told journalists of years of hunger and hardship in a town that has been largely destroyed. Residents who chose to stay will receive monthly humanitarian aid deliveries, Russia’s human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova said. She linked that decision to the mediation of Melania Trump.
The truce was brokered by the US First Lady. Kyiv and Moscow have both repeatedly expressed gratitude to her, but neither side has shared details of her involvement. The ombudsmen of Russia and Ukraine, Yana Lantratova and Dmytro Lubinets, oversaw the pause together. They travelled into Oleshky and were filmed speaking with residents. Both called for similar arrangements elsewhere.
Competing claims about the pause
Ukraine’s General Staff stated that Russian troops exploited the pause to dig in. They reported rotating units, more anti-drone gear along roads, and new ammunition shipments. The Kremlin appeared to partly agree. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was reasonable to assume Ukrainian forces also used the period to regroup, calling this standard practice.
Analysts have questioned whether the truce will lead to wider cooperation. The Kremlin quickly described Oleshky as an isolated case that would not affect the settlement process, a term it uses for the stalled peace talks. Peskov repeated on Monday that there were no similar plans or initiatives.
Wider context
Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian air strikes continued during the truce, killing scores of civilians and damaging key infrastructure. Some commentators have suggested that Moscow avoided breaking the truce partly to protect its relationship with US President Donald Trump. They also noted that the pause came days before the US midterm elections on Tuesday.
Kyiv still leans heavily on American intelligence and Patriot missiles built in the US to fend off Russian air raids. Officials in Kyiv have stressed that American support remains essential ahead of another hard winter.
Separately, drones launched by Ukraine hit several power-related sites across four Russian regions. In Samara, residents described explosions and dark smoke over an oil refinery that had been attacked for the fifth time in a month, according to BBC News. The truce brought relief to Oleshky, but it has done little to change the broader course of the war.
Frequently asked questions
Why did fighting resume in Kherson?
The six-day truce ended and strikes returned, according to local authorities quoted by BBC News. Authorities said Moscow hit a medical facility in Kherson city centre on Monday.
How many people were evacuated from Oleshky?
Hundreds of people trapped in Oleshky and its surroundings were evacuated during the ceasefire. Many arrived in northern Ukraine on Saturday.
What role did Melania Trump play in the ceasefire?
The ceasefire was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, according to BBC News. Both Kyiv and Moscow thanked her, but no details of her involvement were shared.
Sources
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