The six-day local ceasefire in Oleshy, a frontline city under Russian occupation in Ukraine, has officially expired. In the final hours before the truce concluded, the Ukrainian military utilized the window of calm to evacuate 167 individuals from threatened areas within the southern Kherson region. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the group of evacuees included 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility.
Reports indicate that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry had proposed extending the ceasefire to Moscow, but this offer was reportedly rejected by Russian officials. Citing a Ukrainian government representative, AFP noted that Russia declined the extension. The truce, which began on Tuesday and was observed by both warring parties, was facilitated through mediation efforts involving US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. It marked the longest local interruption of hostilities since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Residents had previously been evacuated from Oleshy to either Ukraine or Russia on Saturday based on their preferences.
Simultaneously, both nations reported cyberattacks targeting their emergency alert systems. Ukrainian authorities disclosed a breach of the state-run "Air Alert" application, which is used to send smartphone warnings about air raids. The compromised app falsely displayed alerts regarding nuclear and chemical attacks, as well as street fighting risks, for Kyiv and other areas. The Ukrainian Air Force stated on Telegram that the app may have been compromised by the enemy, though they confirmed there was no actual radiation danger. The erroneous notifications disappeared shortly after appearing, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation announced the application was temporarily taken offline.
In a parallel incident, Russia's Ministry for Emergency Situations reported a similar cyberattack on its own warning application. The ministry stated that false information had been disseminated through their system.
Sources: Tagesschau.