Fighting resumes in Kherson after rare six-day truce

Fighting has resumed in Ukraine's Kherson region following the end of a rare six-day truce that provided the longest period of quiet on the front line since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. The ceasefire allowed hundreds of residents trapped in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky and nearby areas to evacuate. Local authorities reported that strikes started again on Monday morning, noting that a medical facility in the Kherson city centre was hit. A Russian drone attack also injured a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man in their car. Ukraine's General Staff accused Russian forces of using the humanitarian pause to strengthen military positions, rotate units, expand anti-drone equipment, and deliver ammunition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated it was reasonable to assume the Ukrainian army also used the period for regrouping, calling it a standard practice. US First Lady Melania Trump brokered the ceasefire, and both Kyiv and Moscow thanked her repeatedly. Russian human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets oversaw the truce, travelled into Oleshky, and called for the initiative to be repeated elsewhere. However, the Kremlin dismissed the idea of wider truces, calling Oleshky an isolated case.

Context

Ceasefires during active wartime conflicts are rare and typically require high-level diplomatic intervention to arrange even on a local scale. While temporary pauses can allow for urgent humanitarian evacuations, broader peace talks often remain stalled over deeper political disagreements between the warring nations.