Russia, Ukraine begin ceasefire in city of Oleshky as deadly strikes continue elsewhere
Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Russian-occupied Oleshky, hollowed out since 2022, is site of the 1st significant ceasefire
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Russia and Ukraine have begun a regional ceasefire to allow the start of a humanitarian effort in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, both sides said Tuesday, but they continue strikes elsewhere, including the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
The ceasefire should enable deliveries of aid, as well as evacuations from the front-line town in southern Ukraine that is grappling with acute shortages of food and medicine.
"As head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, I confirm that the Ukrainian side is honouring its commitments," Dmytro Lubinets, the parliamentary commissioner for human rights, said in a Facebook post confirming Russia's timing of its halt.
On Telegram, Russia's Defence Ministry said it stopped shelling in the direction of Ukraine's city of Kherson from 4 a.m. Moscow time, to prepare for the effort in Oleshky, which faces Kherson across the Dnipro River.
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Lubinets added that the deal was reached in co-ordination with Melania Trump in co-operation with Russia's commissioner for human rights, Yana Lantratova. It is also known that Pope Leo spoke to the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to push for a ceasefire in Oleshky.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, ceasefires have been relegated to occasional holiday periods.
Oleshky lies on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, opposite the city of Kherson, which is held by Ukrainian forces. Russian troops seized Oleshky during the first days of their February 2022 invasion and have controlled it ever since.
A still image taken from an undated drone video released Sept. 12 shows destroyed buildings in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine's southern Kherson region. (34th Separate Marine Brigade Borysfen/Reuters)
Oleshky has suffered extensive war damage and was hit hard by flooding after the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam in 2023. The United States has said only a few thousand people remain in Oleshky, from a prewar population of 24,000.
Residents and officials have reported severe shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies.
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Kyiv bridge struck
As the regional ceasefire proceeded, new strikes on Tuesday hit the Southern Bridge and subway infrastructure in Kyiv, forcing a suspension of traffic, city officials said, while a Reuters witness heard explosions.
Russia's overnight attacks included 16 ballistic missiles and more than 280 drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, calling it a serious escalation against Ukrainian logistics.
"Tragically, there have been casualties and hits in Kyiv, including on the South Bridge," he said on X, referring to one of the main road bridges over the Dnipro River that bisects the Ukrainian capital.
On the Telegram messaging app, the Russian Defence Ministry said it has hit transport infrastructure in Kyiv, a logistics hub in the Kharkiv region as well as industrial facilities and cargo vessels elsewhere it cited as being put to military use.
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Another person was killed and 30 injured as a drone hit a bus in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, local officials said.
Reuters could not immediately independently verify the reports. Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians.
Finnish, Norwegian leaders speak to Putin
White House envoys have talked to both sides in recent days to try and find a solution as the U.S. looks to mediate a peace deal to end the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War. But questions have emerged as to American loyalties in the wake of a diesel deal the U.S. struck with Russia, and antagonistic statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Zelenskyy.
On Friday, Zelenskyy said peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States had agreed to meet at a technical level in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi to continue the talks.
Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere on Tuesday held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine, Stubb's office said in a statement.
"The discussion was frank and substantive. We are neighbouring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions," Stubb said in a statement.
Western European leaders have mostly shunned contact with Putin since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine. Russia has frequently accused European governments of stoking the war by arming Ukraine and refusing to talk to Moscow.
An aide for Zelenskyy confirmed he was briefed by the Finnish and Norwegian leaders after their call with Putin.
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