Evacuation truce in Olechky, Ukraine, comes to an end
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L’essentiel
The truce that enabled the evacuation of civilians from Olechky, a Ukrainian city occupied by Russia, is due to end on Sunday evening after several days with no reported violations. The ceasefire, the longest since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, comes as fighting and strikes continue elsewhere, according to Agence France-Presse.
The truce that allowed civilians to evacuate Olechky, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, is due to end shortly before 11pm local time on Sunday 1 November. The temporary ceasefire, which began on Tuesday morning, is the longest since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
Located on the front line in the Kherson region, Olechky faces mined access routes, drone fire from both armies and severe shortages. According to AFP, Kyiv and Moscow have reported no violations of the truce, unlike some previous partial ceasefires. Residents of the neighbouring city of Kherson have also benefited from the respite.
A local military source cited anonymously by AFP expects fighting to resume once the truce ends. According to the officer, Russian forces deployed on the opposite bank of the river used the lull to reinforce their troops, bring in ammunition and gather intelligence with drones. Russia also continued its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The truce followed a joint operation to evacuate residents of Olechky, announced on 30 October. The following day, evacuated residents arrived in northern Ukraine.
