In short
- The humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine’s front-line Kherson region was due to end at 22:59 Ukrainian time (21:00 GMT) on Sunday 1 November.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian strikes hit energy infrastructure in four regions overnight on Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power.
- More than 60,000 customers in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region were still without electricity on Sunday evening, the regional governor said.
- The Oleshky evacuation was brokered with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo; the oldest evacuee was 94 and the youngest was one, according to Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
- Ukraine struck a major missile fuel producer in Russia’s Rostov region, causing a fire and damaging four production facilities, according to Zelensky.
The humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine’s front-line Kherson region ended at 22:59 Ukrainian time (21:00 GMT) on Sunday 1 November, after allowing civilians to evacuate the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky. Fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine while the truce held, and Russian strikes overnight on Saturday left hundreds of thousands of homes without power.
The truce began on Tuesday and was brokered with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. It was initially confined to Oleshky, which Russia has occupied since February 2022, and was later expanded across the wider Kherson region. Hundreds of Ukrainians left the Russian-occupied city under the truce, with emotional reunions reported on Saturday.
When did the Kherson ceasefire end?
The localised ceasefire was due to expire at 22:59 Ukrainian time (21:00 GMT) on Sunday 1 November. It had held since it was implemented the previous week, although fighting continued elsewhere in the country.
How many homes lost power in the Russian strikes?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia struck energy infrastructure in four regions overnight on Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without power; some connections were restored on Sunday. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, most customers had power back by early evening but more than 60,000 were still cut off, the regional governor said. Emergency power cuts have been introduced nationwide because of regular attacks, and Kyiv is without electricity for most of the day, with water supplies also disrupted.
Zelensky said the intensity of Russian strikes had been “extremely high” over the past week and that Russia was “trying to take maximum advantage of the shortage of ballistic missile interceptors”. He said Ukraine told the US, Europe and other partners “every day” that it needs Patriot missiles, which he called the only effective weapon for downing Russia’s ballistic missiles. The US has approved a $2.1bn sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
What happened to Ukraine’s air alert system?
Ukraine’s air force said the country’s air alert system appeared to have been hacked on Sunday evening, with a warning about radiation over Kyiv — a reference to a possible nuclear attack. The message read: “The Air Alarm application has probably been subjected to hostile interference. There is no radiation threat! Stay calm and follow our updates on our channel.”
What did Ukraine strike inside Russia?
Ukraine hit a major missile fuel producer in Russia’s Rostov region, causing a fire and damaging four production facilities, according to Zelensky.
Who was killed in the Vinnytsia strike?
An overnight strike killed two people, including a 13-year-old girl, in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said.
How did the Oleshky evacuation work?
Oleshky was trapped between the Dnipro river and Russian forces, with exit routes mined and subject to drone attack, and residents faced severe shortages of food, water and electricity. Ukrainian military positions are about 5km (3.1 miles) from the city, but evacuees had to travel through Russian-occupied territory to southern Russia, fly to Belarus, and then be driven across Ukraine’s northern border. The oldest evacuee was 94 and the youngest was one, according to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Kherson ceasefire end?
The localised truce was due to expire at 22:59 Ukrainian time (21:00 GMT) on Sunday 1 November, after being implemented the previous Tuesday. It had held in the Kherson region while fighting continued elsewhere in Ukraine.
How many people were left without power after the Russian strikes?
President Volodymyr Zelensky said strikes on energy infrastructure in four regions left hundreds of thousands of homes without power. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, more than 60,000 customers were still cut off on Sunday evening, the governor said.
Who brokered the Oleshky evacuation truce?
The limited pause in hostilities was brokered with the help of US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. It began in Oleshky, which Russia has occupied since February 2022, and was later expanded across the wider Kherson region.
Why is Ukraine asking for more Patriot missiles?
Zelensky said Patriot interceptors are the only effective weapon for downing Russia’s ballistic missiles, and that Moscow was trying to exploit a shortage of them. He said Ukraine raises the request with the US, Europe and other partners every day.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)