Ukraine Moves 167 Civilians Out of Kherson Region as Oleshky Truce Runs Out

A six-day local truce around the Russian held town of Oleshky came to an end at midnight Moscow time on Sunday, and there were no early signs that fighting had picked up again. It was the longest local pause since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. The deal was reached through mediation by US first lady Melania Trump, with Pope Leo also involved. Ukraine’s military said it brought 167 people out of threatened parts of the region on Sunday, among them 22 children and 21 people who need special assistance.

How Residents Left Oleshky

Over the weekend, exhausted and underfed residents crossed into Ukraine after a long detour. Buses first took them to Crimea, then on to the Russian town of Anapa, and from there they flew to Belarus before continuing to Ukraine. Russia’s rights commissioner Yana Lantratova said 25 buses and nine ambulances carried people to Crimea before the groups split. Melania Trump put the total evacuated at nearly 800. The truce also let crews clear roads of mines and bring in food and medicine.

Humanitarian Cooperation and Reactions

Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said both sides kept their promises and that he is working with Lantratova on further similar efforts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised how the operation went, and the pope hoped it could open the door to wider peace talks.

Kherson Warnings and Strikes Elsewhere

Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged people to stay away from so-called red zones near the Dnipro, where Russian strikes remain intense. Fighting continued elsewhere, with deaths reported in the Sumy and Vinnytsia regions.