Russia maintains a rare ceasefire for Ukraine, which allows evacuation -. The Financial Times. On Friday, Russia observed a U.S.-backed local ceasefire in southern Ukraine, allowing the evacuation of residents of the destroyed town of Oleshki via a detour route through Russia and Belarus. This was the most significant pause in the fighting since the beginning of the war. Residents were instructed via local Telegram channels to gather at the city's main hospital at 10am to board buses to Anapa, Ukrainian officials and volunteers told the FT. From there they were supposed to be flown to Belarus and then transferred back to territory controlled by Ukraine. Officials and volunteers were careful to reassure residents that they would eventually return to Ukraine, despite the long detour that stands in stark contrast to the 15-minute drive it took before the war to cross the Dnieper into Kherson. According to estimates, there are less than 2,000 people left in Olshki, compared to 24,000 before the war. Living conditions have deteriorated sharply over the past year, with drone strikes and bomb-riddled roads cutting residents off from food and medicine, Ukrainian officials, volunteers and former residents told the FT. In preparation for the evacuation of Olshki, Russia and Ukraine held a local ceasefire for three days, during which Russian forces cleared the main road leading to the city. Both sides said they had not recorded any ceasefire violations, an unprecedented thing since 2022. The ceasefire was also in effect in Kherson, which is only 6 km across the Dnieper from Oleshka. Since the ceasefire began on Tuesday, the residents of Kherson have once again taken to the streets and are driving their cars without fear of the constant threat of drone attacks. The sudden silence left many puzzled.

Russia maintains a rare ceasefire for Ukraine, which allows evacuation -. The Financial Times. On Friday, Russia observed a U.S.-backed local ceasefire in southern Ukraine, allowing the evacuation of residents of the destroyed town of Oleshki via a detour route through Russia and Belarus. This was the most significant pause in the fighting since the beginning of the war. Residents were instructed via local Telegram channels to gather at the city's main hospital at 10am to board buses to Anapa, Ukrainian officials and volunteers told the FT. From there they were supposed to be flown to Belarus and then transferred back to territory controlled by Ukraine. Officials and volunteers were careful to reassure residents that they would eventually return to Ukraine, despite the long detour that stands in stark contrast to the 15-minute drive it took before the war to cross the Dnieper into Kherson. According to estimates, there are less than 2,000 people left in Olshki, compared to 24,000 before the war. Living conditions have deteriorated sharply over the past year, with drone strikes and bomb-riddled roads cutting residents off from food and medicine, Ukrainian officials, volunteers and former residents told the FT. In preparation for the evacuation of Olshki, Russia and Ukraine held a local ceasefire for three days, during which Russian forces cleared the main road leading to the city. Both sides said they had not recorded any ceasefire violations, an unprecedented thing since 2022. The ceasefire was also in effect in Kherson, which is only 6 km across the Dnieper from Oleshka. Since the ceasefire began on Tuesday, the residents of Kherson have once again taken to the streets and are driving their cars without fear of the constant threat of drone attacks. The sudden silence left many puzzled.