Kherson ceasefire ends: Russia refuses to extend it

The longest ceasefire of the war in Ukraine, which had been in effect only in the southern Kherson region, was due to end late in the evening on Sunday, 1 November.

According to a senior Ukrainian official, Russia rejected Ukraine’s proposal to extend it.

The ceasefire was due to expire at midnight Moscow time, that is, at 21:00 GMT. According to the White House, US First Lady Melania Trump took part in organizing it. The pause began early in the morning on Tuesday, 27 October, and allowed a rare joint operation to evacuate residents of Oleshky, a front-line town. That operation ended on Saturday, 31 October.

A Ukrainian official told AFP that Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry proposed extending the ceasefire, but “the Russians don’t want to.”

How the mission in Oleshky unfolded

At the start of the ceasefire, there were about 2,000 civilians in Oleshky. They could leave for territory controlled by Ukraine or Russia, or stay — they were promised fresh supplies of food and medicine. To protect those who remained, the authorities did not disclose final figures. Buses took people out on the evening of 30 October. The evacuees heading to Ukraine had to return through Russia and Belarus. Pope Leo XIV also took part in the mediation.

Ukrainian and Russian representatives said the ceasefire was observed without violations, thanks to which sappers were able to demine roads and supplies were delivered to the town.

On Sunday, 1 November, as the ceasefire period was coming to an end, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that another 167 civilians had been evacuated from dangerous areas of the region.

Preparing for the resumption of fighting

The head of the Kherson regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, urged residents to remain calm and to “react to attacks.” The Ukrainian official warned that the fighting could become “even heavier than before.” According to him, Russian troops on the other bank of the Dnipro used the lull to move people and ammunition here and to launch reconnaissance drones over Ukrainian positions.

Some residents still do not intend to leave.

“Nothing will change. Everything will go back to the way it was before the ceasefire,” said 58-year-old Alla Vasilenko, a seamstress who sews costumes.