Kherson Residents Walk Streets and Visit Graves During Brief Ceasefire

In Kherson, Ukraine, residents walked freely down streets usually filled with Russian drones during a short truce that ended Sunday night. The ceasefire, which ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, was negotiated by First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV. It covered a section of southern Ukraine that includes Kherson and Oleshky, a town across the Dnipro River.

The pause in hostilities was designed to aid Oleshky, which Russian troops occupied in 2022. The area is heavily mined, and supplies of food and medicine have struggled to reach residents. Families in Oleshky told NPR that their loved ones survived on pickles and boiled weeds during the occupation. Over the weekend, hundreds of residents were evacuated from Oleshky and transported by bus to northern Ukraine.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman, thanked First Lady Trump for securing the agreement. “I believe they can be upheld and honored,” Lubinets said regarding truces between the two nations. The ceasefire gave residents of Kherson a rare break from the conflict. Russian troops had occupied the city for several months in 2022 before local partisans aided Ukrainian soldiers in forcing them out. Since 2024, Russian forces across the river have targeted residents with first-person-view drones carrying explosives. Heavy mesh nets now cover the highway into the city, its streets, and many buildings to provide protection.

Olena Soboleva and Anna Herasimenko, both 21, used the clear skies to meet up for coffee. They walked past families strolling with children and couples holding hands. Soboleva noted the absence of explosions, stating, “No one wants to kill you.” Herasimenko, who had also visited a salon for a manicure, said, “The city seems alive, just like it used to be.”

Svitlana Vorobiova, a retired police officer, drove from a safer city to visit her parents. She took photos with her children at the Greek-style monument that marks the city’s gateway. Her son, who had not been to his hometown in four years, told her he could not believe he was there. Vorobiova’s voice broke as she described bringing him to the place she still calls home.

Volodymyr Mykolaienko, 66, a former mayor of Kherson, walked past the ruins of a damaged administrative building. Locals stopped to shake his hand. Mykolaienko was arrested by Russian troops in early 2022 and held as a prisoner of war until last year’s exchange. He used the truce to visit his father’s grave in a part of the city often targeted by drones. “I was able to do exactly what I have long wanted to do,” Mykolaienko said, adding that he prayed and thanked his father for his life.

Olena Yehorova, an oncology nurse, watched a musician play accordion at a busy bus stop. She described the truce as a relief that allowed the city to breathe. Despite the pause, residents remained cautious. Yehorova looked up at the clear sky, knowing that the agreement had ended and that attacks could resume at any time.