By Islam El-Sakka
A planned six-day ceasefire brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump has brought a rare period of quiet to the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson, allowing residents to venture onto streets that have been under regular Russian fire for years. The truce, tied to a humanitarian aid mission in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky across the Dnipro River, began at 3 a.m. on Tuesday and is intended to allow medicine, food and water to reach up to 2,000 civilians still in Oleshky before evacuation corridors open later in the week.
Ceasefire Details and Humanitarian Mission
The localized pause in fighting was negotiated around Oleshky, which Melania Trump described as "on the brink of disaster" due to perilously low supplies and movement restricted by drones and land mines. The calm extended to the Kherson region, which is only partially under Russian control. After a full day without attacks, more people than usual appeared on Kherson's streets on Wednesday, though many said the silence felt unsettling.
Residents Experience Uneasy Calm
Some residents stocked up on groceries, others sawed firewood for winter, and a few simply strolled. Hanna Llianna, 61, visited the city center for the first time in nearly two years to have coffee and walk, but she avoids neighborhoods near the river where she once ran a grocery store. "It will be very hard if what we had comes back," she said. "You lift your spirits like this now, and when it returns, it will be very hard."
Damage and Danger Persist
Municipal workers used the lull to repair and extend netting that shields streets from drones. Kherson bears deep scars: plywood covers windows, shattered glass litters the ground, and whole blocks farther from the center have every window blown out. Anton Shakhunov drove to his former apartment, which was hit by a drone this spring, and wandered through the ruined fifth-floor unit. "Here is the Russian world in all its beauty," he repeated. "So many memories are tied to this apartment."
Drones and Mines Remain Threats
Residents say Russian FPV drones, which carry livestreaming cameras allowing operators to select targets in real time, remain their defining fear. A United Nations commission concluded last year that such attacks amount to crimes against humanity. The quiet allowed Liudmyla Shevchenko to tidy her garden and replant flowers, though she frequently mistook wind whistles for drone sounds. Mines scattered remotely by Russian forces also pose a deadly danger; a military press officer was killed by one on Tuesday, and fallen leaves now hide explosives.
Skepticism About Russia's Intentions
Many residents distrust the ceasefire, fearing Russia will use the pause to stockpile drones and move forces closer. "It will end, and they will terrorize us," said Oleksandra Kostenko, who lived through the occupation. Yuliia Orlova, who visited her mother in a usually heavily shelled riverside district, said she and her husband are considering leaving because they no longer see a future for the city. "Perhaps they are observing it this week, but that will only allow them to bring in more ammunition," Orlova said. "God willing, it will help the people there (in Oleshky) to get out. I think that is the most important thing."
