A temporary ceasefire in Ukraine’s Kherson region was due to expire late Sunday, November 1, after Russia declined an extension, a senior Ukrainian official said, according to France 24’s report with AFP.
The localized truce began early Tuesday and was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, the report said. It allowed a humanitarian mission to reach Oleshky, a city under Russian occupation. Neither side had reported violations during the pause, which France 24 described as the longest of the war.
For residents interviewed by AFP, the lull offered room for ordinary tasks. Volodymyr Omeltchenko, a 38-year-old gardener, said he was using the respite to prepare rose bushes for winter. Pope Leo XIV, who had urged Russia to accept a truce in Oleshky, expressed hope that it would encourage dialogue and further peace efforts.
Concern about renewed combat accompanied that relief. An unnamed Ukrainian military officer told AFP that Russian forces across the Dnipro River had used the pause to bring in troops and ammunition and gather intelligence with surveillance drones. The officer feared fighting could intensify when the ceasefire ended. Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to remain alert and heed attack warnings.
The agreement did not halt attacks elsewhere. Ukraine’s energy ministry reported power outages across the country on Sunday, including in Kyiv, after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Separately, Russian-installed authorities said Ukrainian attacks had killed five people in occupied territory between late Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Both countries deny targeting civilians.