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Editor’s note:
In Kherson, silence has become so rare that it almost feels suspicious. For two days now, there have been no drones and no shelling, and people are using every quiet minute to walk the streets.
We hope this silence lets people out of Oleshky alive. We also remember what Russia has done with past pauses, so we’ll be watching closely what happens after November 1.
And if you need a moment of relief after this story, scroll to the very end. There’s a small rescue we all needed this week.
To read the full story and follow what happens in Kherson and Oleshky after the ceasefire, subscribe.
OUR LEAD STORY:
WARNING: This story includes descriptions and images that may disturb some readers.
KYIV, Ukraine – You’ve probably seen the footage: signs on fences reading “NO FOOD,” people eating grass to stave off hunger, and civilians who have been nearly unable to leave the city for months.
This is what’s happening today in Russian-occupied Oleshky, separated from liberated Kherson by just a river. The сity that became a kill zone, a deadly trap of starvation for thousands of civilians.
Viktoriia Zalyutynska watched in horror as her hometown of Oleshky was leveled to the ground. She still waits to hear back from acquaintances she messaged to ask whether they plan to evacuate the city, while Ukraine and Russia have reached a ceasefire. But for several days now, her phone has remained silent.
“People have already eaten dogs in the city. Elderly people may simply lie dead in apartment building hallways. No one buries anyone because drones were dropping explosives on locals,” Viktoriia recalled what she heard directly from people who live there.
She had still been in contact with a few people who remained in Oleshky. Sadly, most of her acquaintances have already died.
At least since spring, the town of Oleshky, right next to Kherson, has lived under a total blockade, without electricity, gas, proper mobile and internet connections, and, most importantly, food and medicine. According to the White House estimates, up to 2,000 locals, including about 50 children, are still staying in the town. Combined with nearby settlements, up to 6,000 people, including 180 children, might be under threat of starvation.
Yet unexpectedly, on October 27, Russia agreed to a local ceasefire until the evening of November 1. It took a push from Pope Leo XIV, extensive efforts of Ukrainian and Russian negotiators, and the U.S. First Lady Melania Trump as an intermediary to enable evacuation.
According to the Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, it has lasted for over 54 hours so far, as the escape routes are being cleared of mines. This makes it the longest truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
While some embrace the silent hours when no drones, glide bombs, or artillery kill residents of the Kherson region and Oleshky citizens can finally be released, others fear the cost of it. Kherson locals The Counteroffensive spoke with fear that Russians might use evacuation efforts to prepare for further escalation in the region. That’s why this ceasefire, and what follows, should be seen as a litmus test of whether Russia can maintain at least some agreements without using them against Ukraine.
Photos and drone videos of Oleshky hurt Viktoriia. Before the war, around 24,000 people lived in the city. Every corner felt “familiar and like home” to Viktoriia, though what she loved most was the vast man-made forest. She worked as a tour guide at the local history museum and lived an ordinary life with her husband and daughter, who has now turned 13.
“Our city was always like a beating heart, always bustling with life, picturesque and flourishing,” she recalled.