Russia accuses Ukraine of striking Oleshky ahead of planned ceasefire; aid corridor at risk
Editorial illustration — Press Pass USARussia accused Ukraine on Monday of repeatedly striking the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky with artillery and drones ahead of a planned local ceasefire this week, saying the attacks thwarted the delivery of food and medicine and stopped residents from leaving.
Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement that Ukraine had struck the town 18 times with artillery fire and carried out more than 120 drone attacks on it and the main roads around it in the last week, since October 19. Reuters, which reported the ministry's statement, said it could not independently verify the assertion, and that there was no immediate response from Ukraine, which has in the past accused Russia of not letting aid in or people out.
Ukraine and Russia said Friday they had agreed on a ceasefire in Oleshky that would take effect October 27, allowing the delivery of aid and the evacuation of residents through humanitarian corridors. The White House said last week that an arrangement was due October 29, crediting First Lady Melania Trump — a discrepancy in dates that had already left the exact start of the pause in question before Monday's accusation.
Oleshky, a town in southern Ukraine's Kherson region that had about 24,000 residents before the war, now holds an estimated 1,700 to 2,000 people, according to earlier reporting. Residents have described eating weeds and pickles while trapped by minefields, shelling and drones. Whether Monday's accusation derails the planned corridor will become clear only when — or if — aid convoys and evacuations begin.
Sources: Reuters (Oct 26, 2026); NPR (Oct 26, 2026), on the Oleshky corridor pledge; White House statement via Bloomberg (Oct 24, 2026).
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