In brief
Ukrainian forces evacuated more than 160 civilians, including children and those with limited mobility, from the Kherson region as the six‑day Oleshky ceasefire approached its midnight deadline. The evacuees were taken to safer points, while diplomats such as Melania Trump and Pope Leo praised the pause. Russian officials expressed approval of the coordination.
Ukrainian troops moved 167 civilians, including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility, from threatened areas of the Kherson region on Sunday as the six‑day Oleshky ceasefire neared its midnight deadline, Reuters reported.
The evacuation, carried out by units of the civil‑military cooperation of the South group of forces in cooperation with local authorities, was described by the Ukrainian General Staff in a Telegram post, which said the evacuees were taken to safer points in the region.
Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to remain vigilant as the ceasefire expired, warning them against entering “red zones” near the Dnipro where Russian strikes remain intense.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia viewed the evacuation and the coordination between the two countries’ human rights commissioners positively, noting that the ceasefire had held without violations, according to both Ukrainian and Russian officials.
In a separate statement, Pope Leo said he hoped the cooperation in implementing the Oleshky ceasefire would pave the way for broader peace efforts.
Melania Trump, writing on X, said the ceasefire “has provided residents with the freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack.”
Earlier, residents of Oleshky had crossed into Ukraine after a circuitous journey that began with a bus ride via Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa, continued by flight to Belarus, and ended in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
The ceasefire, brokered with the aid of Trump and the pope, had been the longest pause in fighting since the 2022 invasion, and had allowed de‑mining and delivery of supplies into the town.
While Ukrainian troops recaptured much of the region, including the town of Kherson, Russian forces maintained control of Oleshky, and military action continued elsewhere in Ukraine on Sunday.
