Ceasefire lets joint Ukraine-Russia mission enter occupied Oleshky

A U.S.-brokered local ceasefire enabled a joint Ukrainian-Russian humanitarian mission to enter Russian-controlled Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region, where about 2,000 residents faced food and medicine shortages, down from roughly 24,000 before the invasion. A convoy of 25 buses, ambulances and aid vehicles delivered supplies and offered evacuation, with assistance planned for residents who stayed; hundreds of exhausted and starving people were evacuated. Those seeking to reach Ukrainian-held territory travelled by bus through Crimea to Russia, then flew to Belarus and continued toward Ukraine by land, while others could choose to go to Russia. The truce, which allowed routes to be demined, is set to last through Sunday, November 1; the Kremlin cautioned against viewing the operation as progress toward a broader peace deal. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed U.S. approval of a sale of 500 Patriot missiles but warned deliveries could take years as Russian missile attacks mount ahead of winter.