Kremlin says ceasefire in Ukraine’s Oleshky was successful

The Kremlin said on Monday that a ceasefire in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region had been “successful.”

“We can indeed confirm the successful execution of this humanitarian operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing, according to Anadolu Agency.

Peskov thanked Washington for its assistance in Oleshky, particularly US first lady Melania Trump. He also praised the coordination between the Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners.

Asked about the possibility of similar operations, Peskov said each case was “unique” and that there were no plans or initiatives for another one.

He also responded to an earlier Ukrainian statement accusing Russia of using the pause to “regroup.” Peskov said Moscow did not rule out that Ukraine might have used the ceasefire for the same purpose, describing this as “perfectly standard practice in such situations.”

Ukraine’s General Staff said on Monday that Russia had used last week’s ceasefire to “improve their positions.” It said Russian units had rotated, positions had been fortified, additional anti-drone measures had been deployed along roads, and logistics had been expanded, including through ammunition deliveries.

The ceasefire in Oleshky, which Moscow took control of in 2022, the first year of the war, took effect on Oct. 27 to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations. It ended at 10.59 pm local time (2059 GMT) on Sunday.