Kherson's brief ceasefire offers rare relief from relentless attacks

A US-brokered ceasefire brought rare respite to Ukraine's southern city of Kherson on Wednesday, pausing near-daily Russian drone and artillery attacks that have battered the area for years. The six-day pause, mediated by US first lady Melania Trump, is holding, Ukrainian officials said. The ceasefire aims to enable humanitarian relief for nearby Oleshky, where residents face acute shortages of food and medicine. Kherson residents cautiously ventured into streets, with kiosk owner Oleksandra Kosenko reporting a near-doubling of clients and relief from dashing for cover. Despite the relief, residents expressed wariness that fighting could resume, citing anti-personnel mines and ongoing battles elsewhere along the 1,200-km front line. Russia continues bombing Ukrainian cities, and locals like Olha Chyupikova said they expect potential provocations at any moment.