Humanitarian Ceasefire in Kherson Region Ends Amid Ongoing Strikes

A humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region of Ukraine, which facilitated the evacuation of civilians from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, ended on Sunday night. The ceasefire, in effect since last week, allowed residents to escape from a city that has faced severe shortages of food, water, and electricity due to ongoing conflict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that overnight strikes by Russia targeted energy infrastructure across four regions, resulting in power outages for hundreds of thousands of homes. While some connections were restored, over 60,000 residents in the Dnipropetrovsk region remained without power. Additionally, a separate strike in the Vinnytsia region claimed the lives of two individuals, including a 13-year-old girl.

In response to the ongoing attacks, Zelensky noted that the intensity of Russian strikes had been "extremely high" in recent days, emphasizing Ukraine's urgent need for Patriot missiles to counter the threat of ballistic missiles. He expressed gratitude for the support received from international partners while reiterating the call for immediate assistance.

The ceasefire, which was initially limited to Oleshky, was facilitated by the involvement of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. Evacuees faced significant challenges, having to navigate through Russian-occupied territory to reach safety, including a journey to southern Russia before crossing into Belarus and eventually returning to Ukraine.