Kherson Theater Performs as Ukraine's Temporary Ceasefire Expires
As the localized truce between Kyiv and Moscow ends, residents in Oleshky face renewed fighting while cultural institutions maintain normal operations in the front-line city.
By Hassan Ellis ·
The quiet in Kherson is ending. On Sunday, civilians in Ukraine’s southeastern region prepared for the conclusion of a localized ceasefire that began early Tuesday. The White House stated that First Lady Melania Trump helped broker the pause, which represents the most substantial break in hostilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began four and a half years ago.
The truce facilitated a rare joint evacuation of the front-line city of Oleshky. An estimated 2,000 civilians were trapped in the besieged area when the pause took effect. Residents chose between moving to Ukrainian or Russian controlled territory or staying in the city with new supplies of food and medicine. The evacuation concluded Saturday, with family members gathering at the border to welcome the humanitarian convoy.
Despite the local silence, aerial warfare continued elsewhere. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces targeted energy systems ahead of winter. He noted that hundreds of thousands of families lost power overnight as Moscow exploited Ukraine’s shortage of air defenses. Zelenskyy described the intensity of the strikes as extremely high on social media, noting that Russia sought to take maximum advantage of the lack of ballistic missile interceptors.
In Kherson, the Mykola Kulish Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater continued its weekend performances. Oleksandr Knyha, the theater head, told the audience, “Don’t be afraid, keep holding on.” The company performs every Saturday and Sunday. Although local officials warn that Russian forces have deployed more weapons and personnel, the theater plans to perform next weekend as usual.
Knyha stated that the theater has worked on the front line for four years and never canceled a show. The group now performs in a basement and is equipping an additional bomb shelter. Approximately 100 of the 120 staff members remain in Kherson, and none have evacuated. Knyha, who is from the occupied left bank city of Oleshky, said the hope of returning home keeps him in Kherson.
Costume maker Alla Vasylenko, 58, described the silence of the truce as frightening. She said, “Nothing will change. Everything will go back to how it was before the ceasefire, because believing the Russians means not believing yourself.” Vasylenko has no plans to leave because she has ten dogs. She estimated the trip to safety would cost 30,000 to 50,000 hryvnias, a large sum for her.
Russian drone attacks continued to target the Kyiv region for a second day, wounding a woman and damaging homes and energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force reported that Moscow launched 433 drones overnight, and Kyiv destroyed or suppressed 371 of them. In Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, local Governor Gleb Nikitin said more than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down. Russian media reported that the attack sparked a blaze at the Kstovo oil refinery.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv struck a factory producing missile components and air defense facilities in Russia’s Rostov region. He wrote, “We are justly defending ourselves against Russian aggression and doing everything to reduce Russia’s capability to continue it.”
