After years under fire, a rare quiet settles over Ukrainian city as truce holds

In Kherson, a pause in the fighting and a chance to tackle long-overdue repairs. Municipal crews are returning to streets where Russians' shelling and drones had made it too dangerous to work. For residents here, even boarding up shattered windows can make a difference in a city used to the sound of drones overhead. Workers used to come regularly, but they hadn't been here for a year and a half. It was dangerous. Drones were flying around. A six-day local ceasefire came into force on Tuesday in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky and has since been extended across the wider southern region of Kherson. By Wednesday, both sides were still observing it, allowing workers to reach some of the city's most exposed neighborhoods. In Freedom Square, Olga Chupikova tends roses and restores flags bearing the names of fallen Ukrainian service members. Her team had last been able to work here in June, and only briefly, under the protection of mobile defense units. Today we have a little more time, a few more opportunities. I don't think we'll manage to finish everything today, so we'll have to continue tomorrow. The truce was negotiated to allow a humanitarian operation across the Dnipro River. In Oleshky, less than 10 kilometers away, some 2,000 people are waiting to be evacuated after being left without food, water or medicine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for its help negotiating the localized ceasefire. It's a huge success. If the evacuation, I hope so, will be positive and successful. And we are thankful to the American side. This is really their initiative. Everybody spoke about this initiative. Now it goes under their leadership. But we will see how it will be finished. Hope good and hope soon. In questions with journalists, he also discussed trilateral negotiations with the US and Russia. They are expected to take place in Abu Dhabi in early November.