Residents in occupied Oleshky are urged to evacuate, as the town may face increased destruction
The Russian-occupied town of Oleshky may face even greater destruction once civilians depart under a U.S.-negotiated local ceasefire, evacuation volunteer Kseniia Arkhipova told the Kyiv Independent on October 26.
“When television channels around the world show that dozens of buses full of people have left Oleshky, when it is reported that the evacuation has taken place and the town is practically deserted, we are very much afraid that, after that, Oleshky will simply be wiped off the face of the earth,” Arkhipova said. Those who remain, she warned, could face even more dreadful conditions.
The warning follows a localized ceasefire mediated by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump to enable safe civilian evacuation and humanitarian aid deliveries. The ceasefire is scheduled to begin at 3:00 a.m. Kyiv time on October 27, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. Both sides have agreed to the temporary halt in fighting, though exact evacuation routes remain under discussion.
Arkhipova urged remaining residents to consider leaving, acknowledging the difficulty of abandoning lifelong homes but stressing the growing dangers of intensified hostilities and limited access to help. Oleshky, on the Russian-held eastern bank of the Dnipro River opposite Kherson, has been under occupation since the early days of the full-scale invasion and has endured a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by shortages of food, medicine, electricity, and other essentials. Russian forces use the area to launch attacks across the river toward Ukrainian-controlled territory.
She highlighted the risk that residual residents could be overlooked if mass-evacuation reports create the impression that no civilians remain. “The worst thing would be if the whole world came to believe that everyone had been evacuated from Oleshky, whilst people were still there. And they would simply be forgotten.”
Earlier this year, volunteers still managed multi-day evacuations through Russia and Belarus. In recent months, however, drone attacks, artillery fire, and mined roads have rendered road evacuations nearly impossible. Russian forces have blocked access for Ukrainian and international aid organizations. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman estimated in mid-September that more than 6,000 people, including about 200 children, may still remain in Oleshky and surrounding settlements.
Russia has increased diesel production due to sanctions relief
Russian oil refineries are increasing diesel output in October after the government granted them export quotas tied to a supply arrangement between Moscow and the United States.
According to industry sources cited by Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia must immediately deliver more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel — roughly 2.25 million barrels — followed by another 500,000 tonnes in November and then one million tonnes.
Since October 1, the Russian government has introduced exemptions to the existing diesel export ban and allocated quotas that enable fuel deliveries under the deal with Washington.
Diesel production fell to around 160,000 tonnes per day in the first half of October, down from 175,000 tonnes per day in September. After the new export quotas were approved in mid-October, output began to recover and reached 180,000 tonnes per day.
Domestic consumption in Russia typically stands at about 140,000 tonnes per day in October, reflecting seasonal factors such as the end of the grain harvest and the summer travel period. This leaves at least 40,000 tonnes per day — more than one million tonnes per month — available for export. Neighbouring countries may require around 200,000–300,000 tonnes of that volume, the sources said.
Industry observers expect the government to keep the broader diesel export ban in place rather than lift it completely. Instead, Moscow is likely to rely on quotas to regulate overseas shipments while closely monitoring the domestic market and production levels.
Death toll rises to six, including three children, after Russian drone strike on park in Kharkiv Oblast
A 12-year-old boy injured in a Russian drone strike on a park in Nova Vodolaha, Kharkiv Oblast, has died in a Kyiv hospital, bringing the death toll from the October 19 attack to six, including three children, local authorities reported on October 26.
Russian forces struck the town’s central park at around 4:30 p.m. local time on October 19 while families with children were present. Preliminary findings indicate a Geran-3 drone was used. The victims included an eight-year-old girl, Arina Koval, who was killed at the scene; her 12-year-old brother Artem, who succumbed to severe injuries a week later; a one-year-old girl named Anhelina; and three adults. At least 15 people were injured, seven of them children.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack an “absolute atrocity,” noting that Anhelina’s mother, Inna, also died in hospital and identifying another young victim as a 14-year-old girl. “These are horrific photos, but behind them lie shattered lives and the truth about this war,” he said, urging continued sanctions against Russia until the killings stop.
Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that the world must not grow accustomed to the killing of Ukrainian children and civilians. Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi emphasized that the strike on a civilian park had no military purpose. Prosecutors have opened a pre-trial investigation into a possible war crime.