Russia-Ukraine War Latest: Oleshky Truce, Starlink Row and What Comes Next
More than four years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has entered a strange new phase: a rare US-brokered truce around the occupied town of Oleshky, a public fight between Kyiv and Elon Musk over Starlink, and some of the biggest drone attacks of the conflict on both sides. Here is the latest Russia-Ukraine war news explained in simple words: what is happening now, why it matters and what could come next.
Russia-Ukraine War: Key Facts at a Glance
- Oleshky truce: a six-day, US-brokered local ceasefire around the Russian-held town of Oleshky has been in place since Tuesday, October 27
- Aid convoy: food and medicine entered Oleshky on Friday, October 30, and evacuation buses are waiting for residents
- Starlink row: Elon Musk says SpaceX restricted Ukraine's Starlink to stop "misuse", while Kyiv denies breaking any rules. Service is now restored
- Drone war: Moscow's mayor says more than 850 drones were launched at the Russian capital overnight. Russia hit Kyiv, Kharkiv and energy sites again
- Energy ceasefire: announced by Donald Trump on October 11, but Ukraine says Russia kept attacking its power grid
- Peace talks: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are involved, and Trump has put new Russia sanctions on hold
The Oleshky Truce: A Rare Pause in the Fighting
Oleshky is a town in Ukraine's southern Kherson region that Russian forces captured soon after the February 2022 invasion. It once had about 24,000 residents. Today, up to 2,000 people remain, with no electricity, heating or running water, and food and medicine running out.
A six-day local ceasefire covering Oleshky and its surroundings has held since Tuesday. The White House credits First Lady Melania Trump with mediating the deal, while the Vatican says Pope Leo XIV helped through phone calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Russia and Ukraine both said demining around the town was complete. Russia's human rights ombudsman, Yana Lantratova, said two people were killed during the demining work.
- An aid convoy carrying food and medical supplies entered the town on Friday, according to Russia's Izvestia newspaper.
- Lantratova said 25 buses with at least 750 seats were ready to evacuate residents.
- Ukraine's ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said remaining residents could leave safely and stressed the importance of keeping the ceasefire in place. The two ombudsmen met in Oleshky.
It is one of the very few times both sides have agreed to stop fighting in a specific area for humanitarian reasons.
Elon Musk, Starlink and Ukraine: What Happened?
Searches for "Elon Musk Starlink Ukraine limits" jumped on Google this month after Ukraine's military lost full access to the satellite internet it relies on for drones and front-line communications.
- October 14: Ukrainian officials reported that restrictions on SpaceX satellite services were disrupting drone operations, forcing several missions to be cancelled. Both Starlink and Starshield, a military-grade service supplied through US government contracts, were affected.
- October 15: Reuters, citing officials, reported that the order came from inside the White House. A senior US official denied that President Trump was involved.
- Musk's version: Musk said Ukraine's military had breached Starlink's terms of service and that SpaceX had closed off its use for offensive drone strikes. He also said the US government controls changes to Starshield.
- Ukraine's answer: defence technology adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said offensive use was "physically impossible" because of speed limits, and that Starlink does not work over Russian territory.
- October 24: Ukraine's Defence Ministry said Starlink and Starshield were fully restored and stable.
Who ordered the slowdown has still not been made clear publicly. The episode shows how much Ukraine's army depends on one private company, a risk experts say is hard to fix because Starlink is difficult to replace.
The Drone War Escalates
Both armies are now fighting a war of drones on a scale never seen before:
- October 19: Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one night. Russia's Defence Ministry said it neutralised 1,015 over 15 regions. An oil terminal in St Petersburg was set on fire and at least one person was killed.
- This week: Moscow's mayor said most of more than 850 drones launched toward the Russian capital were shot down overnight.
- Russia's attacks: Zelenskyy said Russia used nearly 2,700 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 66 missiles in a single week. On Friday, R
ussia hit Kyiv, Kharkiv and an industrial site near Kremenchuk, and said it targeted energy infrastructure around Kyiv and port facilities in the Odesa region.
What Happened to the "Energy Ceasefire"?
On October 11, Donald Trump announced an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine, but gave no details. Zelenskyy later told the Financial Times he was finished with the arrangement. He said Ukraine had held off on striking Russian energy facilities, while Russia attacked Ukraine's energy, oil and gas sector 76 times in the week after the announcement. With winter coming, attacks on power plants and the grid are expected to remain a central part of the war.
Peace Talks: Where Do Things Stand?
- Negotiating teams held talks in Miami on October 9, and Zelenskyy has discussed the next diplomatic steps with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
- Trump has put new Russia sanctions on hold, saying he did not want to push Moscow away from negotiations. He also criticised Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil sites and said Zelenskyy "doesn't want to end this war".
- Zelenskyy warned that siding with Moscow would be a "historic mistake" for Washington. He said US-Ukraine intelligence sharing had resumed after a pause, but that Ukraine had waited nearly a month for US approval of Patriot and NASAMS air defence supplies.
The US is also deeply involved in the US–Iran war, and Americans vote in the midterm elections on November 3, both of which could shape how much attention and support Washington gives Ukraine in the months ahead.
What Comes Next?
- Oleshky as a model: if the six-day truce and evacuations go smoothly, it could encourage more local humanitarian pauses.
- A winter energy war: both sides are hitting power and fuel infrastructure, which could mean blackouts for millions as temperatures drop.
- Diplomacy after November 3: with US envoys involved and sanctions paused, the next round of talks will be closely watched after the US midterms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening in Oleshky?
A six-day, US-brokered local ceasefire is in place around the Russian-held town of Oleshky in Kherson region, allowing an aid convoy in and residents to evacuate. Up to 2,000 people remain there without power, heat or water.
Did Elon Musk limit Starlink in Ukraine?
Musk said SpaceX restricted Ukraine's Starlink to stop what he called misuse for offensive drone strikes. Ukraine denies breaking the rules. Ukraine's Defence Ministry said service was fully restored on October 24.
Is there a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine?
Not a full one. There is a temporary local truce around Oleshky. An "energy ceasefire" announced by Trump on October 11 has not held, according to Ukraine.
How long has the Russia-Ukraine war lasted?
Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, so the war has now lasted more than four and a half years.
Are there peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?
Diplomacy is continuing. Negotiating teams held talks in Miami on October 9, and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are involved, but no agreement to end the war has been reached.
This story will be updated as the situation develops. Last updated: October 30, 2026.
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