A six-day local ceasefire around the occupied town of Oleshki has temporarily restored silence to the Ukrainian town of Kherson, where years of near-daily drone and artillery attacks have turned the streets into a dangerous frontline zone. The ceasefire began early Tuesday and covered areas on both sides of the Dnieper River.
The ceasefire was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. It is intended to allow the delivery of food, water and medicine to Oleshki, as well as the evacuation of civilians who want to leave the town. The Russian-controlled town has between 1,700 and 2,000 residents, down from around 24,000 before the war.
Oleshki is located on the east bank of the Dnieper, opposite Kherson. The Ukrainian town was liberated in November 2022, but since then Russian forces on the opposite bank have regularly shelled it and used drones. Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Residents return to the streets
On Wednesday, buses resumed running, shops and cafes reopened, and more people than usual appeared in the city center. Some residents took advantage of the break to shop or check on their properties in neighborhoods that are usually inaccessible due to shelling. But the main streets remain covered in anti-drone nets, and many buildings have broken windows and damaged facades.
“Honestly, I can't describe it in words. If it stays like this, it will be really wonderful,“ said kiosk owner Oleksandra Kosenko. She said her customers had almost doubled to about 50 people.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubynets said Kherson had “literally come to life”. He said people were once again walking peacefully and enjoying the autumn sun - something that would be everyday life in other parts of the country but has become a rarity for Kherson residents.
Truce has not removed fear
The calm remains fragile. Residents expect the fighting to resume, and some fear that Russia could use the pause to stockpile ammunition and drones. Anti-personnel mines, which are scattered remotely, remain a threat even when the shooting has stopped.
“The Russians have proven that they cannot be trusted. So I think everyone subconsciously feels that at any moment there could be some kind of provocation,“ said Olga Chyupikova, a 52-year-old municipal employee.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubynets and Russian representative Yana Lantratova reported that no ceasefire violations had been recorded in Oleshki for 30 hours. A U.S. representative is due to join Russian and Ukrainian civilians in the humanitarian operation. The plan is to first clear the roads and deliver aid, then begin the evacuation.
The truce around Oleshki has not stopped the war. Fighting continues on other sections of the front, about 1,200 kilometers long, and Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure have not stopped.
Sources: reuters.com, aol.com, news4jax.com