Local ceasefire takes effect in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson region

28 October 2026

A localised ceasefire took effect on 27 October 2026 in and around Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine's Kherson region, to allow an aid mission and evacuations. The Russian Ministry of Defence said the pause began at 01:00 GMT, and Russia suspended strikes on Kherson province. The ceasefire was announced on 23 October and was brokered with the involvement of United States First Lady Melania Trump, with Pope Leo XIV also involved. Oleshky lies on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, opposite Kherson city, which Ukrainian forces hold, and was seized by Russia in the first days of the February 2022 invasion. Its pre-war population was about 24,000, and the United Nations says up to 2,000 people remain, unable to leave because of mines and drone attacks. UN humanitarian coordinator Matthias Schmale said civilians were trapped without a guaranteed safe exit route. Negotiators plan to bring in doctors, medicines, food and water before opening evacuation corridors.