In brief
On Sunday, Ukraine’s military evacuated 167 civilians—22 children and 21 people with limited mobility—from threatened areas of the southern Kherson region as a local ceasefire in Oleshky approached its expiration. Mediation by Melania Trump and Pope Leo brokered the six‑day pause, which has so far held without violations, allowing de‑mining and aid delivery. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised the evacuation as a positive move, while the Kherson governor warned residents against venturing into so‑called "red zones" near the Dnipro.
Ukraine’s military moved 167 civilians, including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility, from threatened zones in the southern Kherson region on Sunday, just before a six‑day local ceasefire in Oleshky was set to expire at midnight Moscow time, Reuters reported.
The evacuation was carried out by units of civil‑military cooperation of the “South” group of forces in partnership with local authorities, according to the Ukrainian General Staff’s Telegram post.
Reuter’s report said the ceasefire, brokered with the assistance of US first lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, was the longest pause in the fighting since the Russian invasion in 2022 and remained unviolated, allowing de‑mining and the delivery of food, medicine and other supplies into Oleshky.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said Russia had a positive view of how the evacuation was conducted in Oleshky and of the coordination between the two countries’ human‑rights commissioners.
On X, Melania Trump wrote that 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.”
Pope Leo echoed his hope that cooperation on Oleshky’s ceasefire would pave the way for broader peace efforts, as noted in Reuters.
Kherson governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to remain vigilant and warned against visiting “red zones” near the Dnipro where Russian strikes remain intense, as the ceasefire nears its final hours.
Military activity continued in other parts of Ukraine on Sunday, underscoring the ongoing conflict despite the brief pause in Kherson.
