Key facts
- Ukraine's 34th Marine Brigade said Russian forces rotated units and delivered ammunition during the ceasefire.
- Ukraine's General Staff said Russian forces violated the truce; ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on November 2 that neither side had reported violations.
- The 34th Marine Brigade reported Russia brought an additional 1,000 soldiers into the area during the ceasefire, RFE/RL reported.
- Analyst Viktor Kevliuk said Russia's Dnepr grouping is considering stepping up operations on the Dnipro's western bank.
- A remotely laid mine killed Volodymyr Obertas, a press officer with the 34th Marine Brigade, in Kherson, press officer Pavlo Drohal said.
A ceasefire in Kherson Oblast ran for five days, from October 27 to November 1, 2026, to let civilians leave the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. Kherson, the regional capital on the western bank of the Dnipro River, had not seen such freedom of movement since 2022, and residents got a reprieve from constant Russian strikes. After the pause, FPV drones and artillery fire returned to the city.
Ukraine's military said Russian forces used the pause to prepare for future operations in violation of an agreement banning large-scale troop and equipment movements. Yevhen Voronetskyi, head of the 34th Marine Brigade's communications department, told the Kyiv Independent that during the "regime of silence" Russian units rotated, positions were strengthened, anti-drone means expanded on roads and logistics increased, including ammunition deliveries.
On November 1, Sky News published footage captured by the 34th Marine Brigade's drones showing Russian forces deploying heavy equipment and bringing ammunition and other supplies to their positions. Some vehicles bore red crosses typically associated with humanitarian missions.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on November 2 that neither side had reported any violations of the ceasefire, including the movement of heavy equipment. The 30th Marine Corps and the 34th Marine Brigade told the Kyiv Independent that Russian troop movements had been recorded during the ceasefire, and Ukraine's General Staff said on social media that Russian forces had violated the truce.
Pavlo Drohal, press officer for the 30th Marine Corps, said Russian forces had used drones to remotely lay mines ahead of the ceasefire. One such device detonated in Kherson, killing Volodymyr Obertas, a press officer with the 34th Marine Brigade who was originally from Oleshky. Drohal said Russian forces often remotely mine road intersections and areas where people gather, particularly in Kherson and neighboring settlements. Voronetskyi said Russian forces also violated the agreement by flying reconnaissance drones over the western bank of the Dnipro.