Russian forces reclaim Oleshky positions lost during Ukrainian advance
Kherson officials report that Russian troops used the recent humanitarian pause to rebuild infrastructure, restock supplies, and reoccupy territories in Oleshky that Ukraine had secured over the past year.
By Hassan Ellis ·
Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration, has stated that Russian forces took advantage of the recent ceasefire to return to strategic positions in Oleshky. These are the same areas that Ukrainian defenders had spent nearly a year systematically clearing of enemy presence.
According to Prokudin, the Russian military utilized the humanitarian pause to reinforce their troops and restore lost ground. He noted that the enemy used the time effectively to rotate personnel, completely rebuild destroyed defensive positions, and stockpile essential resources such as food, generators, and fuel. Prokudin emphasized the scale of this effort, stating that it had taken Ukrainian forces about a year to eliminate the improvements the Russians made during the pause.
The Russian forces also moved additional weaponry into the city during the truce. This included drones, artillery, ammunition, and Grad multiple-launch rocket systems. Prokudin described a specific tactic where one vehicle would tow a Grad system to a location, leave it, and then drive away to avoid detection. Additionally, Russian troops searched the city for basements to establish new hiding places for drone operators.
Looking ahead, Prokudin warned that an increase in Russian strikes should be expected now that the ceasefire has ended. Currently, Russian forces are conducting approximately 700 to 800 drone attacks per day, a campaign designed to terrorize civilians in Kherson and the surrounding administrative units known as hromadas. He predicted that the intensity of these attacks would be particularly noticeable on November 11, which is marked as Liberation Day.
Before the ceasefire was established, Russian forces had attempted to cross the Dnipro River in boats and on jet skis in a show of force intended to raise their flag. Ukrainian defense forces thwarted all of these attempts, killing most of the assault troops and taking the remaining soldiers prisoner.
Prokudin also highlighted issues regarding the distribution of humanitarian aid during the mission. He stated that Russian forces had held back the delivered aid, keeping it in their own warehouses rather than distributing it to the residents. Approximately 1,300 civilians continue to survive in the occupied city amid what is described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
The recent truce in Oleshky was part of a broader agreement reached on October 23 between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump. The ceasefire was in effect from October 27 until 22:59 on November 1. During this period, civilians wishing to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory were evacuated by military transport aircraft via Russia and Belarus, arriving in Ukraine on October 31 through a border crossing in Chernihiv Oblast.
Melania Trump reported that nearly 800 people were evacuated as part of the humanitarian mission. While Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, announced the end of the ceasefire on November 1, he noted that neither side had recorded official violations. Lubinets clarified that Russian military equipment spotted by journalists was used exclusively to clear mines from routes under Ukrainian control, a statement that contrasts with military observations of heavy vehicle movements.
The crisis in Oleshky and neighboring settlements on the left bank of the Dnipro River worsened in spring 2026 due to the Russian blockade and attacks on the population, leading to a large-scale humanitarian emergency and hunger among civilians.
