A local ceasefire in a southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation appeared to be holding on Tuesday, with both sides ceasing drone attacks ahead of an apparent evacuation of about 2,000 trapped and desperate civilians.
asserted
sides → appear → civilians
The temporary truce began at 3am in Russian-controlled Oleshky.
asserted
truce → begin → Oleshky
The city sits on the Dnipro River and is about 3 miles (5km) from Kherson, a larger city on the opposite bank.
asserted
city → sit → bank
Ukrainian troops recaptured Kherson in autumn 2022.
asserted
troops → recapture → autumn
Witnesses reported that the deadly frontline across the river was quiet for the first time in four years.
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frontline → report → years
The pause in fighting is due to last until 11pm on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said, and represents a significant if limited moment of de-escalation.
asserted
officials → last → escalation
Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, and Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, held what they described as a “frank and substantive” phone call with Vladimir Putin about efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
asserted
they → hold → Ukraine
Støre indicated afterwards that big differences remained.
asserted
differences → indicate → ?
The two Nordic leaders said the call – a rare instance of direct contact between Putin and western leaders – was linked to upcoming talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US, expected to take place in Abu Dhabi next month.
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call → say → Dhabi
The ceasefire in Oleshky appears to be an attempt by the Kremlin to curry favour with Donald Trump before the trilateral meeting and next week’s US midterm elections.
asserted
ceasefire → appear → meeting
The first lady, Melania Trump, requested the humanitarian mission, and in a post on X said it was brought forward by two days to allow the delivery of critical aid.
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it → request → aid
Its geographical scope had been extended beyond Oleshky “within the Kherson region”, she added, to provide safe passage for convoys.
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she → extend → convoys
Calls for a ceasefire were also issued by Pope Leo, the United Nations, EU officials and the Council of Europe.
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Calls → issue → Europe
Between 1,500 and 2,000 people in the city have been living under a complete blockade by Russia.
asserted
people → live → Russia
The last delivery of food to stores was in May, and many people are now starving and eating weeds.
uncertain
people → starve → weeds
The Ukrainian military has airdropped food using drones but locals say Russian security forces detain anyone who takes it.
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who → airdrop → it
Russian soldiers have mined roads and use ruined buildings to coordinate round-the-clock strikes against Kherson.
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soldiers → mine → Kherson
Some Oleshky residents have managed to escape, walking or cycling past bodies lying on the street and the burnt-out shells of vehicles.
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residents → manage → vehicles
Ukrainian observers say the Kremlin is planning a major propaganda tour this week in which Kyiv is blamed for Oleshky’s destruction.
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Kyiv → say → destruction
Trump-supporting US media channels have been invited to witness the evacuation, in which buses will take residents to occupied Crimea and Russia.
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buses → support → Crimea
Ksenia Arkhipova, who fled the city in 2022 and now, as a volunteer, helps others leave, said some residents have told her they fear Russian officials may “filter out” evacuees with pro-Ukraine views.
“People say they are genuinely afraid that the Russians will check their phones and look for evidence of Ukrainian relatives or ties to the Armed Forces of Ukraine – something they have done repeatedly in other occupied territories,” Arkhipova told the Associated Press.
uncertain
Arkhipova → flee → Press
The ceasefire does not extend to other parts of Ukraine.
asserted
ceasefire → extend → Ukraine
Overnight, Russia bombarded Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles, killing at least one person and injuring 15.
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Russia → bombard → 15
It hit a university campus, wounding students, as well as a bridge over the Dnipro and metro infrastructure.
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It → hit → infrastructure
Ten other regions came under fire.
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regions → come → fire
The bridge remains closed to traffic, but some commuters walked across it to get to work.
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commuters → close → work
Writing on social media, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia “must stop dragging out this war” and said he welcomed European attempts to end it.
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he → write → it
He said Stubb and Støre had briefed him on their call with Putin.
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Stubb → say → Putin
“Alex and Jonas clearly conveyed to the Russian leadership the need for genuine steps towards de-escalation, particularly when it comes to our energy sector and infrastructure,” Zelenskyy wrote.
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Zelenskyy → convey → sector
The Finnish-Norwegian initiative comes amid growing efforts by some European nations to establish a direct channel of communication with Moscow and secure a stronger European voice in negotiations.
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initiative → come → negotiations
Stubb and Støre said they took part in the call as leaders of their respective countries and were not speaking on behalf of Europe as a whole.
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they → say → whole
European governments remain divided over whether direct engagement with Putin is worthwhile, given Russia’s maximalist demands remain stubbornly unchanged.
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demands → remain → Putin
There is little agreement on who should lead such talks.
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who → be → talks
Stubb is seen by some EU officials as a candidate.
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Stubb → see → candidate
The divisions were laid bare shortly after news of the call emerged, when Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, criticised the move.
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minister → lay → move
It was not agreed with any of us,” Frederiksen said.
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Frederiksen → agree → us
She added: “I see no signs that Russia wants peace with Europe – neither in the hybrid warfare it wages every day, nor in Ukraine, where brutal and aggressive strikes continue daily, claiming many lives.”
asserted
strikes → add → lives
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the Europeans had offered “nothing new”, and were simply trying to insert themselves in the negotiation process.
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Europeans → say → process
This month Putin said he was willing to resume peace talks, but only on Russia’s hardline terms.
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he → say → terms
They include the handover of the entire eastern Donbas region, including parts Russia has been unable to seize since 2014, as well as further territory in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces.
asserted
Russia → include → provinces
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
