Russia halts strikes on Ukraine’s Kherson as Oleshky ceasefire takes effect

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Russia has paused strikes in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region as a localised ceasefire took effect at 01:00 GMT on Tuesday, setting up a humanitarian mission to the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. The arrangement is intended to let aid reach the town and to open evacuation routes for civilians later in the week.

According to the report, the ceasefire was announced on October 23 and was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, with Pope Leo also involved, as Washington tries to encourage renewed peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Negotiators said the mission will bring doctors, medicines, food and water before evacuation corridors are opened.

Oleshky is described as a front-line town on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, opposite Kherson city, with a pre-war population of about 24,000. Al Jazeera says as many as 2,000 people may still be there, and that mines and drone attacks have made leaving difficult. The town has also suffered major damage during the war and flooding after the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in 2023.

The pause is set to last through Saturday, or longer. The broader significance is that, if implemented, it could provide rare humanitarian access in an area where earlier ceasefire efforts have repeatedly failed amid deep mistrust between Russia and Ukraine.