Ukraine Accuses Russia of Using Oleshky Ceasefire to Regroup

 

Ukraine Accuses Russia of Using Rare Ceasefire to Strengthen Military Positions

November 2, 2026 | World News 09

Ukraine has accused Russian forces of taking advantage of a rare humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky to strengthen their military positions and improve logistical operations, raising fresh concerns over the use of temporary truces during the ongoing war.

According to Ukraine's General Staff, Russian troops used the six-day ceasefire to rotate military units, reinforce defensive positions, expand anti-drone protection along roads and increase logistical activity, including the transportation of ammunition.

The ceasefire, which began on October 27 and ended on November 1, was established to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and evacuate civilians from Oleshky, a town in Ukraine's southern Kherson region that remains under Russian occupation.

The humanitarian operation was facilitated with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. Melania Trump said that nearly 800 people were evacuated during the operation.

Ukraine's General Staff said Ukrainian defence forces respected the ceasefire arrangements and acted within the agreed terms. It maintained that the humanitarian pause was used by Russian forces to improve their military positions.

However, the allegations have also faced a different explanation from Ukrainian officials. Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets disputed reports suggesting that the military vehicles seen during the ceasefire were involved in regrouping. He said the equipment was being used for agreed mine-clearance operations and that the ceasefire arrangements had been respected.

The Kremlin also responded to the accusations. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had no specific information about Russian military movements but suggested that Ukrainian forces may also have used the pause to regroup, describing such activities as standard practice during ceasefires.

The temporary truce nevertheless allowed humanitarian assistance to reach its intended destination and enabled civilians seeking to leave Oleshky to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory.

The developments highlight the difficulties of arranging humanitarian pauses in a war where both sides remain deeply suspicious of each other's military intentions.

Although the Oleshky operation demonstrated that limited cooperation remains possible, the competing accounts of military movements during the ceasefire underline the challenges of establishing trust between Moscow and Kyiv.

For now, there is no indication that a similar local ceasefire arrangement is being planned, while fighting continues elsewhere along the front line.

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Ukraine accuses Russian forces of strengthening military positions during a six-day humanitarian ceasefire in occupied Oleshky as nearly 800 civilians are evacuated.