Longest truce of Ukraine war ends in Kherson

The longest cease-fire in the ongoing Ukraine war came to an end on Sunday as Russia declined to extend the truce brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. The rare pause in fighting, which lasted from October 27 to November 1, allowed for a humanitarian mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. Neither side reported violations during the truce, described by Ukrainian lawmaker Dmytro Lubinets as the biggest de-escalation since 2022.

Ukrainian officials stated that the ceasefire marked an important step in their joint humanitarian efforts with Russia. However, the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, has caused significant destruction, loss of life, and displacement in eastern and southern Ukraine. Ukrainian residents expressed hope that the temporary pause would lead to new peace initiatives.

As the cease-fire ended, Russian forces took advantage of the lull to prepare for renewed fighting, amassing troops, transporting ammunition, and gathering intelligence using drones. Ukraine's governor warned residents to remain vigilant and report any Russian attacks immediately. Additionally, Ukraine's air force and anti-disinformation center suspected a hack of the country's air raid alert system after false radiation threat alerts appeared on the application, later confirmed as a hostile interference.

Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes elsewhere, with the latter attacking a Russian oil refinery, reportedly one of the largest in the country. Ukrainian power outages were also reported following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.