Longest truce of Ukraine war, in Kherson region, set to end

KYIV:

The longest truce of the Ukraine war, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and limited to just the Kherson region, was set to end on Sunday evening after neither side announced an extension.

The rare pause in fighting, which began early Tuesday, enabled a humanitarian mission to the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky and came as the Ukraine war grinds through its fifth year.

Neither side reported violations after the truce began, in what one Ukrainian lawmaker described as the "biggest de-escalation since 2022".

The conflict, sparked by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, has destroyed parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, left hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians dead, and forced millions to flee their homes.

AFP spoke to several Kherson residents, one of whom said the ceasefire had been a "breath of fresh air".

"We have to use this time to get things done," said Volodymyr Omeltchenko, a 38-year-old gardener. "We're pruning the rose bushes for winter."

The ceasefire was due to end later Sunday.

A Ukrainian military officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed concerns that the fighting would be "worse than before" when it resumed.

Russian forces, positioned on the other side of the Dnipro river, have taken advantage of the calm of the past few days to amass new troops, transport ammunition stocks, and collect intelligence on Ukrainian positions using

surveillance drones, the officer said.