A planned six-day ceasefire in and around a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine held for its first day and night, officials said Wednesday, but Moscow and Kyiv continued to batter each other elsewhere.
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Moscow → plan → other
The localized truce in the devastated southern city of Oleshky began Tuesday and is due to last through Sunday as a humanitarian operation races to get urgently needed food and medicine to about 2,000 remaining residents, as well as evacuate those who want to leave.
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who → devastate → those
If the ceasefire holds, it will be the first time since Russia’s invasion of its neighbor more than 4 1/2 years ago that the two sides have observed a significant truce.
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sides → hold → truce
Previous attempts to stop the fighting have either failed to take hold or quickly unraveled amid deep mistrust.
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attempts → stop → mistrust
Russia and Ukraine thank Melania Trump
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Russia → thank → Trump
Negotiators involved in the aid mission said doctors, medicines, food supplies and water would be sent to Oleshky before any evacuation corridors are opened.
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corridors → say → Oleshky
Russia’s occupying forces impose strict limits on who can enter Oleshky, and there was no news on how the humanitarian operation was unfolding.
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operation → occupy → Oleshky
Russia’s ombudsperson Yana Lantratova and Ukraine’s human rights ombudsperson Dmytro Lubinets both said Wednesday there had been no ceasefire violations in Oleshky for 30 hours.
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ombudsperson → say → hours
The plight of the city in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region caught the attention of U.S. first lady Melania Trump, and the White House said she brokered the humanitarian mission.
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she → catch → mission
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Pope Leo XIV also spoke this month with presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin of Russia, urging them to allow humanitarian aid into Oleshky and the safe evacuation of civilians, the Vatican said.
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Vatican → get → civilians
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials, eager to win U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval as he pushes for an elusive peace settlement, thanked Melania Trump for her role.
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he → win → role
U.S. awaits Middle East events before setting date for Russia-Ukraine talks
The ceasefire coincided with U.S.-led plans to bring Moscow and Kyiv officials back to the table next month for technical talks on how to move forward on ending the war, even though neither side shows signs of backing down from their key demands.
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side → await → demands
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, speaking in Helsinki on Wednesday, said Kyiv “will never accept any formula at the cost of our sovereignty or territorial integrity.”
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Kyiv → speak → sovereignty
Talks between delegations from Ukraine, Russia and the United States that are expected to take place in Abu Dhabi in November have not yet been scheduled because Washington is awaiting developments in the Middle East, Zelenskyy told reporters in remarks Tuesday that were embargoed until Wednesday.
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that → expect → Wednesday
Zelenskyy said the leaders of Finland and Norway, who spoke to Putin by phone Tuesday, told him that Russia is “serious” about discussing steps to de-escalate the war.
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Russia → say → war
The Ukrainian president said these could include a pause in attacks targeting energy infrastructure and commercial sea traffic, further prisoner exchanges, and a discussion of formats for possible meetings at leaders’ level.
uncertain
these → say → level
European countries have sought to diplomatically isolate the Russian leader since the invasion.
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countries → seek → invasion
But since Putin’s summit with Trump in Alaska last year, Zelenskyy noted, European governments have quietly resumed contacts with Moscow at the level of national security advisers and between intelligence agencies.
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governments → note → agencies
Zelenskyy sees U.S. disengagement with Kyiv
The Iran war has depleted stocks of U.S.-made Patriot air defence systems that Ukraine desperately needs to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles.
Ukraine is now getting an average of 12 Patriot interceptor missiles per month this year — a sharp drop from delivery rates in previous years, Zelenskyy told reporters.
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Zelenskyy → see → reporters
“Imagine this: you can count on getting 150 missiles a year from America, while you have to shoot down 150 ballistic missiles a month,” he said.
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he → imagine → missiles
Patriot delivery delays appeared to be part of a trend of U.S. disengagement with Kyiv, Zelenskyy said, following disruptions in vital internet satellite links and intelligence sharing as well as a recent Trump administration agreement to purchase Russian diesel and waive sanctions.
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Zelenskyy → appear → sanctions
Elsewhere, the war rages on
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war → rag → ?
A Russian drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight wounded five people, including a four-year-old child, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.
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Service → wound → child
The jet-powered drone attack started a major fire that set alight an apartment building, private house and an industrial building, the emergency services said.
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services → power → building
In Russia, meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said that air defences downed 531 Ukrainian drones from late Tuesday through early Wednesday.
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defences → say → Wednesday
Officials said apartment buildings and industrial infrastructure in three regions were targeted, wounding eight people.
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buildings → say → people
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