A US-brokered ceasefire aimed at allowing humanitarian aid to reach the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, in southern Ukraine, came into effect in the early hours of October 27, shortly after Russia attacked Kyiv, striking a university dormitory and other civilian facilities and killing at least one person.
The ceasefire was brokered last week by Melania Trump, wife of US President Donald Trump, and confirmed by Moscow and Kyiv. It was considered necessary because conditions in Oleshky have become extremely severe. The frontline city is on the brink of catastrophe, with the remaining population consisting largely of elderly people urgently in need of medical care, medicines, food and drinking water.
“The ceasefire has begun, and the Ukrainian side is fulfilling its commitments,” Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote on Telegram on October 27.
“Today, at 3:00 a.m. Kyiv time and 4:00 a.m. Moscow time, a ceasefire was established in designated areas related to the humanitarian mission,” he added.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had halted attacks in the Kherson direction and introduced a “ceasefire regime” ahead of a planned humanitarian operation in Oleshky.
Petro Andryushchenko, a former adviser to the mayor of Mariupol who now heads the Centre for the Study of Occupation, told Current Time that mine-clearing operations in areas near Oleshky were expected to begin on October 27. A humanitarian convoy and an evacuation operation are then planned for October 30. However, restrictions imposed by Russia have been preventing a broader evacuation of civilians.
“Yesterday, we saw that the Russians had brought in an engineering unit that is supposed to carry out this work. Therefore, we hope the process will genuinely begin today,” Andryushchenko said.
“Evacuation vehicles are expected to arrive directly at the hospital building in Oleshky. That is where the evacuation should begin,” he added.
Oleshky is located on the Russian-occupied bank of the Dnipro River, opposite Kherson, the capital of the region of the same name. Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the city had a population of around 24,000.
Melania Trump’s office estimates that between 1,700 and 2,000 people remain in the city, including approximately 50 children. Most are believed to be elderly people who were unable or unwilling to leave. No official demographic census has been conducted since 2022.
The city has endured years of fighting, population displacement and isolation. The destruction of the nearby Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 made conditions even worse, with an estimated 90 per cent of Oleshky’s territory flooded.
Russian Attacks Hit Kyiv as Zelensky Calls for Air Defence
Russia attacked Kyiv late on October 26, striking a university dormitory and other civilian facilities and killing at least one person. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukraine’s partners to provide the country with the “appropriate means” to defend itself.
Russian forces launched 16 ballistic missiles and 280 drones at Ukraine overnight, Zelensky said on October 27. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that its air defences had shot down two ballistic missiles and 255 drones.
“Russia is constantly taking new steps towards escalation,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 14 people had been injured in the attacks, “most of them students living in a university dormitory.”
Klitschko also reported that a Russian attack had damaged a major bridge crossing the Dnipro River in Kyiv.
“Experts are assessing the extent of the damage to the Southern Bridge. Traffic across the bridge is currently closed,” he wrote on Telegram.
“It is precisely under these circumstances, when the threat is constant, when attacks can happen at any moment and directly hit cities and villages, that artificial delays in supplying Ukraine with air defence systems serve terror,” Zelensky said in a social media post.
“It is important that our partners understand that Ukraine needs the appropriate means to destroy Russia’s ballistic missile launchers. This would be the most effective way to save lives. It is important for the world to see that Russia is showing nothing but a desire to kill and continue the war,” he added.
In its latest report, published on October 26, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said Russian authorities had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including by attacking civilians and critical energy infrastructure.
US lawmakers are challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to ease restrictions on imports of Russian energy and are demanding assurances that Kyiv will continue to have access to critical US military and intelligence support.
Through a series of legislative initiatives, congressional investigations and appeals to the administration, Republicans and Democrats have warned that decisions benefiting Moscow or weakening Ukraine’s military capabilities could undermine US national security, weaken Congress’s authority and prolong Russia’s war.
The objections come after the US administration authorised transactions involving Russian diesel fuel, amid reports that Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system and its military-grade satellite communications system, Starshield, had been restricted.
Ukrainian officials say the disruptions have affected military operations, although they have stated in recent days that satellite connection speeds have been restored. However, it remains unclear who imposed the restrictions.
Despite extensive evidence to the contrary, Russian officials deny targeting civilian infrastructure in the conflict, which has continued since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
The university struck in the attack was identified as the State University of Trade and Economics (SUTE), one of Kyiv’s largest higher education institutions, with more than 15,000 students.
Nordic Leaders Speak with Putin and Zelensky
Zelensky said on October 27 that he had spoken with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre following their phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We discussed preparations for the trilateral meeting planned for November, at the level of Ukrainian, American and Russian teams,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X following the conversation.
“Finland and Norway, as countries that share borders with Russia, have a particular interest in stable and reliable security agreements,” he added.
The Nordic leaders said their discussions with Putin focused on diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, ahead of upcoming meetings in Abu Dhabi.
The Kremlin confirmed the conversation, saying Putin had insisted that peace would be possible only if Russia’s interests were fully taken into account.
The Kremlin also said the Russian president had blamed the policies of the European Union and NATO for prolonging the war in Ukraine and had informed the Nordic leaders about the launch of a humanitarian operation in Oleshky.
