Longest truce of Ukraine war ends in Kherson

The longest truce of the ongoing Ukraine war concluded on Sunday as Russia declined to extend the temporary ceasefire, according to Ukrainian officials. The rare pause, which began on Tuesday, allowed a humanitarian mission to enter the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, marking a significant de-escalation since 2022. The ceasefire lasted from October 27 to November 1.

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, hailed the truce as an important step in joint humanitarian efforts with Russia. However, US-mediated talks between the two nations are set to resume in the coming month after being suspended since February due to joint US-Israel strikes on Iran.

Residents in Kherson expressed relief from the truce, with one gardener stating that the temporary pause provided a "breath of fresh air" to use the time for essential tasks. Pope Leo had previously advocated for a truce in Oleshky, hoping it would strengthen the desire for dialogue and lead to new peace initiatives.

A Ukrainian military officer warned that the fighting would likely be worse than before when it resumed, noting that Russian forces had used the truce to amass troops and collect intelligence. The Kherson regional governor urged locals to remain vigilant and respond immediately to any warnings of Russian attacks.

Ukrainian authorities suspect their air raid alert system may have been hacked, after false radiation threat alerts appeared on the Air Alarm application. The force stated that there is no radiation threat. Elsewhere on Sunday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes, with Kyiv reportedly attacking the Kstovo oil refinery, one of Russia's largest oil refineries.

Ukrainian energy infrastructure also suffered power outages following Russian strikes. Both nations deny targeting civilians, with Russia now occupying a fifth of Ukraine.