Kremlin says no further humanitarian pauses planned after Oleshky ceasefire

Moscow has no current plans for further humanitarian arrangements similar to the ceasefire that allowed aid deliveries and civilian evacuations from Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. His comments followed the end of the pause, which had enabled residents to leave for Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, was responding to a question about whether further ceasefires could be arranged to evacuate civilians or provide them with assistance. According to Russian agency Interfax, he characterised the agreement concerning Oleshky as an exceptional case and said that each such situation had to be considered individually.

“There are currently no similar plans, nor are there any similar initiatives at present,” Peskov said. His response indicated that Moscow was not planning to repeat the arrangement at that point. The comments concerned the possibility of further humanitarian pauses following the agreement for Oleshky, rather than an announcement of another evacuation or aid operation.

The ceasefire in the Kherson area began on 27 October and remained in effect until 22:59 on 1 November. Its stated purpose was to make it possible to deliver humanitarian supplies and evacuate residents from temporarily occupied Oleshky. Under the arrangement, those leaving the town were to travel to territory controlled by Ukraine.

On the evening of 1 November, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets announced that the ceasefire had concluded. He said both sides had fulfilled their commitments during the pause. His account addressed the parties’ observance of the agreement over the period set aside for humanitarian deliveries and the evacuation of civilians.

Lubinets also said the parties were exploring ways to preserve the mechanism and carry out similar humanitarian measures in the future. That statement left open the possibility of continuing the approach used for Oleshky. Peskov’s subsequent remarks, however, offered no indication of a new arrangement, with the Kremlin describing the completed operation as exceptional.

Sky News later published footage showing Russian occupation forces using the ceasefire as cover to move heavy equipment and ammunition into Oleshky. The footage also showed forces reinforcing their positions and rotating troops during the pause. That reporting followed Lubinets’s statement that both parties had complied with their commitments.