Symbolic imageOleshky evacuees reach Ukraine under truce as Russia hits power grid
Hundreds of residents of Russian-held Oleshky reached Ukraine on Saturday via Belarus under a local truce. Elsewhere the war went on, with strikes on Ukraine's grid and on Russian refineries.
The evacuation began on Friday, 30 October, under a local truce in Kherson region that took effect on Tuesday and was expected to last until Sunday evening. Evacuees travelled by bus via Crimea to Anapa, flew to Belarus and reached Ukrainian territory on Saturday, with negotiator David Arakhamia confirming four landings in Gomel. Le Monde's headline counts at least 700 evacuees, Melania Trump wrote of more than 750, and Ukrainian authorities have given no figure. The White House says the first lady helped broker the truce, and Pope Leo XIV urged both sides to allow aid and evacuations.
Power cuts in Dnipro and Kyiv regions
Le Monde reports that Russian bombardment left hundreds of thousands of households without electricity in the Dnipro and Kyiv regions.
Refinery strikes
Bloomberg reports that Ukraine struck Bashneft refineries. Russia says two people died in drone attacks.
Patriot sale approved
The US State Department approved a Patriot delivery to Ukraine, FAZ reports, and Koha puts it at 500 missiles. According to Le Monde, Zelensky is concerned about when they will arrive.