Five days of silence changed Kherson

For weeks, the sky over Kherson was filled with the hum of Russian FPV drones and the threat of guided bombs. Walking outside was a calculated risk. But from October 27 to November 1, that constant pressure lifted. A short ceasefire, negotiated by First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, gave the city a rare window of normalcy. It lasted five days.

The agreement was designed to help Oleshky, a town occupied by Russian troops since 2022. Russian forces mined the land around it, making it difficult to send food and medicine. Families there reported surviving on pickles and boiled weeds. During the truce, hundreds of residents were evacuated on buses to northern Ukraine.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's ombudsman, credited Melania Trump with securing the pause. He said the truces between the two nations can be upheld and honored. The lull in fighting allowed people in Kherson to step out into clear autumn skies.

Olena Soboleva and Anna Herasimenko, both 21, used the time to meet. They walked through streets that were usually empty. They saw families with children, shoppers buying supplies, and couples holding hands. They stopped at a cafe decorated with paintings of cats. Soboleva described the absence of explosions and the feeling that no one wanted to kill them.

Herasimenko visited a salon and got her nails painted burgundy. She noted that the streets were full of people, just as they were before the war. For many residents, this brief return to routine felt like a revival of the city's spirit.

The truce also allowed for personal milestones. Svitlana Vorobiova, a retired police officer living in a safer city, drove to Kherson. She took photos with her children at the Greek-style monument marking the city's gateway. Her son had not visited his hometown in four years. He told her he could not believe he was there.

Volodymyr Mykolaienko, the former mayor of Kherson, used the break to visit his father's grave. The cemetery is located in an area usually patrolled by drones. Mykolaienko, 66, had been held as a prisoner of war in Russia for years before being freed in a prisoner exchange last year. He said he could finally talk to his father, pray, and thank him for his life.

Life in Kherson has changed since 2024. Russian troops across the river have targeted residents with explosives strapped to drones. The highway into the city is covered in heavy mesh nets to protect locals. These anti-drone nets also cover many streets and buildings. Cars now pull up to the city gateway, a sight that was rare during the height of the fighting.

The ceasefire ended on Sunday night. At a busy bus stop, oncology nurse Olena Yehorova watched a man play folk music on an accordion. She said the truce was a relief and that people in the city were able to breathe. However, she noted that residents still walk with caution because they cannot trust the Russians. She looked up at the sky, knowing that attacks could resume at any moment.