Kherson residents brace for shelling as ceasefire ends

Civilians in the Kherson region of southeastern Ukraine faced Sunday evening with the knowledge that the temporary pause in fighting would expire. The localized ceasefire, which began early Tuesday, marked the longest break in hostilities between Kyiv and Moscow since the start of the full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. As the truce concluded, residents in front-line areas prepared for the return of aerial and ground attacks.

The White House credited U.S. First Lady Melania Trump with brokering the agreement. The primary humanitarian objective of the truce was the evacuation of the besieged city of Oleshky. Approximately 2,000 civilians were present in the city when the agreement took effect. Residents were given the option to move to Ukrainian or Russian controlled territory, or to remain in Oleshky with replenished supplies of food and medicine. The evacuation operation concluded Saturday.

Family members gathered at the Ukrainian border on Saturday to welcome evacuees. Residents from nearby villages lined the highway, waving flags and flashlights as the humanitarian convoy arrived. Local authorities did not release the final count of those who chose to stay in Oleshky, citing safety concerns for the remaining population.

Despite the local truce, combat continued in other parts of the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Sunday that Russian forces were intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of the winter season. He reported that hundreds of thousands of families lost power overnight. Zelenskyy said Russia was attempting to exploit a shortage of ballistic missile interceptors on the Ukrainian side.

“The intensity of the strikes is extremely high, and the Russians are trying to take maximum advantage of the shortage of ballistic missile interceptors,” Zelenskyy wrote on the social media platform X.

In Kherson, daily life continued with a sense of cautious normalcy. Oleksandr Knyha, the head of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater, told his audience not to be afraid. The theater company performed its regular Saturday and Sunday concerts during the ceasefire. The group plans to stage shows next weekend as scheduled, even as officials warn that Russian forces have increased weapons and personnel in the area.

“Whatever happens, the show is not canceled,” Knyha said. The company currently performs in a basement and is constructing an additional bomb shelter. About 100 of the theater’s 120 staff members remain in Kherson, and none have evacuated. Costume maker Alla Vasylenko, 58, said the silence of the truce still caused fear. She said she has no plans to leave because of her ten dogs and the cost of travel. She estimated the trip would cost between 30,000 and 50,000 hryvnias.

Russian drone attacks targeted the Kyiv region for a second consecutive day. Regional authorities reported that one woman was wounded and that homes, energy infrastructure, and a retail store sustained damage. The Ukrainian Air Force said it intercepted 371 of the 433 drones Moscow launched overnight. In Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, more than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down. Local officials said an industrial building in the town of Kstovo suffered significant damage, and later reports indicated a fire at the local oil refinery.

Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv struck a factory producing missile components and air defense facilities in Russia’s southern Rostov region. He stated that the goal was to reduce Russia’s capacity to continue the war.