Kherson Theater Continues Performances as Localized Ukraine Ceasefire Ends

Civilians in Kherson, Ukraine, prepared Sunday for the end of a limited truce that marked the largest pause in hostilities since Russia began its full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. The White House stated that First Lady Melania Trump helped broker the agreement, which began early Tuesday and was set to expire Sunday evening. During the six-day window, a joint evacuation operation moved residents from the besieged city of Oleshky. An estimated 2,000 civilians remained in Oleshky when the truce began, with options to evacuate to Ukrainian or Russian controlled territory or stay with resupplied food and medical aid. Authorities did not release exact figures for those who stayed after the evacuation concluded Saturday.

The quiet in Kherson stood in contrast to continued aerial strikes elsewhere. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Sunday that Russian forces were targeting energy systems ahead of winter, leaving hundreds of thousands of families without power. Zelenskyy noted on social media that the intensity of attacks remained high as Moscow attempted to exploit shortages in Ukrainian ballistic missile interceptors. The Ukrainian Air Force said it intercepted 371 of 433 drones launched overnight. In Russia, local officials reported that more than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Nizhny Novgorod region. An industrial building in the town of Kstovo sustained damage, and Russian media reported a fire at a local oil refinery.

In Kherson, the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater held its regular weekend concert. Oleksandr Knyha, the theater head, told the audience not to be afraid and to keep holding on. The company performs in a basement and is equipping an additional bomb shelter. About 100 of the theater's 120 staff members work in Kherson, and none have evacuated. Knyha, who is originally from the occupied city of Oleshky, said the theater had never canceled a performance during its four years on the front line.

Costume maker Alla Vasylenko, 58, said the silence of the truce was frightening because she expected conditions to return to their pre-ceasefire state. Vasylenko has no plans to leave her home, citing the cost of travel and her ten dogs. She estimated that a trip out of the region would cost between 30,000 and 50,000 hryvnias. Vasylenko stated that uncertainty remains until the left bank of the region is liberated. The theater’s final performance of the ceasefire period featured a musical map of Ukraine, including songs from Crimea and the Carpathian mountains, as Knyha described the role of the arts in uniting people.

Local officials in Kherson warned that Russian forces had brought in more weapons and personnel during the ceasefire. Residents expect shelling to intensify once the truce officially ends. The theater plans to perform next weekend as usual, despite the anticipated return of hostilities.