Ukraine and Russia said a localized ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky took effect Tuesday, while Kyiv said a humanitarian mission had begun to prepare aid and civilian departures in the southern Ukrainian city.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said the mission had started and that human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets had gone to the site to coordinate it. Lubinets said both sides were observing the agreement. The announcements did not say that supplies had reached residents or that anyone had left.
The start dates in official statements differ. The White House said on Oct. 23 that the ceasefire would begin Oct. 29. Ukraine’s and Russia’s operational announcements placed it on Oct. 27. Their local time references pointed to the same moment, the Associated Press reported, because Ukraine had moved its clocks back an hour and Russia had not. The statements did not explain the date discrepancy.
Lubinets said the plan covers demining, humanitarian aid and civilian movement out of the city. The Associated Press reported that mine removal must happen before aid and evacuations can proceed. The White House said the pause was intended to facilitate aid and civilian departures.
The White House estimated that 1,700 to 2,000 people, including about 50 children, remain in Oleshky. It said the city had no formal demographic count since 2022, and that many residents are elderly and need food, medicine and clean water. The city had about 24,000 residents before the war, according to the White House.
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has said mines and drone attacks hinder movement and access to basic supplies in occupied parts of Kherson region. Agence France-Presse said it could not immediately verify whether fighting had decreased in Oleshky, while the Associated Press reported that the truce’s precise boundaries were unclear. The Associated Press also reported Russian missile strikes hit Kyiv as the local ceasefire took effect.
