Residents across Ukraine’s Kherson region are preparing for renewed fighting as the temporary Kherson Ceasefire approaches its end. The limited truce offered civilians several days of relative calm amid the wider war.
The ceasefire began early Tuesday and was expected to conclude Sunday evening. The White House said US First Lady Melania Trump helped arrange the temporary agreement. The pause allowed residents in the frontline city of Oleshky to leave through a rare humanitarian operation. The evacuation effort concluded Saturday, offering civilians an opportunity to reach safer destinations.
Before the truce began, authorities estimated that approximately 2,000 civilians remained in Oleshky. Residents could choose between travelling to Ukrainian-controlled territory or Russian-controlled areas, or staying behind. Those who remained received additional food and medical supplies during the temporary pause. However, officials withheld exact figures about how many people stayed after the evacuation.
At the Ukrainian border, families gathered Saturday hoping to reunite with relatives leaving the frontline area. Meanwhile, residents from nearby villages welcomed the humanitarian convoy along the highway. Melania Trump described the pause as an opportunity for civilians to access essential services. She said residents had gained greater freedom to move and obtain food, water, and medicine.
Despite the local agreement, fighting continued elsewhere across Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces continued targeting energy infrastructure ahead of winter. He reported that hundreds of thousands of families lost electricity overnight. Furthermore, he warned that Russian forces were exploiting Ukraine’s shortage of air defence interceptors.
In Kherson city, residents experienced the final day of the truce with cautious calm. Nevertheless, many expected Russian attacks to resume once the agreement expired. Oleksandr Knyha, head of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater, encouraged audiences to remain resilient. The theatre continued its weekend performances despite concerns about renewed shelling.
The company operates from a basement and is preparing another shelter for emergencies. Around 100 of its 120 employees continue working in Kherson. Costume maker Alla Vasylenko, 58, said the temporary silence had not changed her expectations. She doubted conditions would improve after the truce and had no plans to leave.
Vasylenko also explained that caring for ten dogs complicated any decision to evacuate. Furthermore, she estimated that travelling elsewhere could cost between 30,000 and 50,000 hryvnias. Knyha, who comes from Oleshky, also hopes to return home someday. He said maintaining the theatre’s work helps bring people together and preserve hope.
Elsewhere, violence continued to claim civilian lives in Ukraine. A Russian drone struck a vocational school in Vinnytsia, killing three people, including a 13-year-old girl. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported four additional injuries, including two young children and a teenager. Russian drone attacks also continued across the Kyiv region for another day.
Regional authorities reported damage to homes, energy facilities, and a retail establishment. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said Russian forces launched 433 drones overnight. Ukrainian air defences destroyed or suppressed 371 of those drones, according to the daily report. However, the remaining attacks underscored the continuing pressure on the country’s air defence systems.
Russia also reported Ukrainian drone activity over the Nizhny Novgorod region. Governor Gleb Nikitin said more than 100 drones had been intercepted. An industrial building in Kstovo sustained significant damage, although officials offered limited details. Russian media later reported a fire at the local oil refinery.
Authorities subsequently restricted gasoline sales after queues formed at regional petrol stations. Diesel sales, however, reportedly continued without restrictions. Zelensky also confirmed Ukrainian strikes against facilities in Russia’s Rostov region. He identified a missile-components factory and air defence installations among the targets.
The Kherson Ceasefire therefore provided only a temporary humanitarian pause within a continuing conflict. For civilians, its end raises renewed concerns about safety, displacement, and access to essential services. Although the evacuation brought some residents to safer locations, many others remain in frontline communities. Their immediate circumstances continue to depend on developments along the changing battle lines.
