Why did Russia agree to the Oleshky ceasefire?

The Kyiv Independent · 29.10.2026, 18:47:26

Moscow's consent to a temporary ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky seems like a long-overdue and welcome concession from a country that has repeatedly rejected or violated ceasefire proposals during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. So why is the Kremlin so on board with Oleshky? Experts, as well as information from Oleshky itself, suggest Russia's motives go far beyond addressing the humanitarian catastrophe it created itself. Instead, the highly publicized ceasefire brokered by U.S. Fir