Russia, Ukraine begin Oleshky ceasefire but keep up strikes elsewhere

At 03:00 Kyiv time on 27 October, a ceasefire took effect around the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, according to Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed its forces ceased firing on the Kherson axis at 04:00 Moscow time, simultaneously. Oleshky had been under Russian control for months, and in June, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission documented severe shortages of food, medicine, and medical care in the town and the nearby Hola Prystan.

As of October 8, Lubinets' office had identified 358 residents in need of evacuation, with no practical progress towards an organized evacuation yet. The ceasefire is deemed a prerequisite for aid delivery and resident relocation, with the operation projected to take five to seven days by Ukraine's first lady's chief adviser, Marc Beckman.

Up until 09:00 on 27 October, Russian forces were still abiding by the ceasefire, reported Ukraine's 30th Marine Corps spokesperson Pavlo Drohal. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, announced the commencement of the mission, and Lubinets stated that it had started to coordinate with the site. The White House had announced on October 23 that First Lady Melania Trump had secured a localized ceasefire, commencing on October 29, which the Russian chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov had confirmed two days earlier and extended to include the entire Kherson Oblast.

On October 26, Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova confirmed the timing via an online meeting, with the agreement covering demining the road to Oleshky, delivering food, water, medicine, and hospital equipment, as well as the safe movement of civilians. Melania Trump stated she had arranged for an impartial American media organization, Newsmax, to accompany the Russian and Ukrainian teams.

Both countries emphasized that residents could choose to leave for Ukraine or Russia or remain, with Russia assuring Kyiv and Washington it would respect their destination preference. The operation's commencement was expected to be five to seven days after October 29, with potential extension contingent on mutual agreement. However, Ukrainian ambassador to the EU Kostiantyn Yelisieiev expressed doubts about the truce's impact on broader peace talks, stating that Russia's involvement appears more like a diplomatic smokescreen aimed at prolonging the conflict by exploiting the situation.