Ukraine news: Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reach Kyiv-controlled territory

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Oleshky civilians arrive in Ukrainian territory from Belarus

• Ukraine claims it hit a Russian plant producing solid fuel for rockets and missiles

• Kyiv also reports strikes on military depots in occupied Ukrainian territory

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul for talks with Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Here is a roundup of events from Russia's war in Ukraine on Saturday, October 31:

Skip next section US warns Russia of a 'mass casualty' plot to attack Moscow

October 31, 2026

US warns Russia of a 'mass casualty' plot to attack Moscow

The US embassy in Russia warned there was "a credible threat of a mass casualty event" at a historical site in southern Moscow. 

"The US government is coordinating with appropriate Russian authorities on a response," the US embassy in Moscow said in a post on X.

The alleged plot would target the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve, a sprawling complex of palaces and gardens built under the orders of Empress Cathrine the Great in the late 18th century.

Russia's federal law enforcement agency, the FSB, said it received the warning and was doing "appropriate work" in response to it, according to Russian news agencies. 

Edited by:Kieran Burke

https://p.dw.com/p/5OuDe

Skip next section Ukraine says it hit Russian rocket fuel factory

October 31, 2026

Ukraine says it hit Russian rocket fuel factory

Ukraine's military said it struck a factory producing solid rocket fuel in Russia's Rostov region, setting a warehouse ablaze and damaging four production workshops.

The attack on the Kamensky plant in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky involved drones and Neptune missiles, according to the Ukrainian account.

The military said the plant supplies fuel for ammunition used by Russia's Uragan, Smerch and Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as other missiles and air-launched weapons.

Ukraine also reported strikes on four Russian military supply depots in occupied parts of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk regions.

The claims have not been independently verified.

Edited by:Kieran Burke

https://p.dw.com/p/5Otqz

Skip next section Ukraine welcomes civilians from Oleshky after complex evacuation effort

October 31, 2026

Ukraine welcomes civilians from Oleshky after complex evacuation effort

First evacuees from the Russian-occupied Oleshky have reached Ukrainian-controlled territory amid a localized ceasefire.

Oleshky, near the front line in the southern Kherson region, has been occupied by Russia since 2022. In recent weeks, the town has faced a severe humanitarian crisis.

Both sides have recently agreed to a localized ceasefire to extract the estimated 2,000 civilians still in Oleshky, down from its pre-invasion population of 24,000.

Moscow and Kyiv credited the US first lady, Melania Trump, with brokering the truce.

Residents were given a choice to go to Russia or travel via Belarus to the part of Ukraine controlled by Kyiv.

 Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the initiative required "an enormous amount of work."

He said evacuees included a one-year-old baby and a 94-year-old resident of Oleshky. The evacuees brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon, according to Lubinets.

He expressed hope that the Oleshky arrangement can be replicated elsewhere.

The truce started on Tuesday and is due to end on Sunday night.

Edited by:Kieran Burke

https://p.dw.com/p/5OtuJ

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

October 31, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in the Russian war on Ukraine.

You join us as Ukraine welcomes evacuees from Oleshky, a town in the Kherson region that has been occupied by Russia since 2022.

Meanwhile, Kyiv claimed it hit the Kamensky plant in the Rostov region deep inside Russia. The factory produces solid fuel for rockets and missiles.

Stay tuned for the latest news and analysis from the ongoing war.