Russia Resumes Kherson Attacks After Melania Trump Brokered Truce
Russia resumed attacks in Ukraine's Kherson region after a six-day humanitarian ceasefire brokered by First Lady Melania Trump expired on Sunday.
Russian forces resumed attacks on Ukraine's Kherson region on Monday, following the expiration of a six-day localized ceasefire on Sunday. The truce, brokered by Melania Trump, was the longest pause in fighting since the conflict began in 2022. It facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of approximately 800 residents from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, where inhabitants had reportedly resorted to eating weeds to survive.
Ukraine's military accused the Federal Government of Russia of exploiting the pause to rotate fresh troops, strengthen military positions, and deploy additional anti-drone defenses and ammunition. Following the expiration of the truce, Russian forces wounded two people in a drone attack in Kherson's Korabelny district and killed one person in Izium.
While the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine offered to extend the truce, Russia refused the proposal and continues to reject calls for a wider ceasefire, stating its intent to seize the remainder of eastern Ukraine. The evacuation of Oleshky residents involved a convoluted route through Crimea, Russia, and Belarus, though some residents chose to remain in Russia. These developments occur ahead of scheduled three-way peace talks in Abu Dhabi later this month, following a renewed push for negotiations by President Donald Trump.
