The evacuation of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky has officially begun, confirmed by both Russian and Ukrainian authorities. This operation follows a ceasefire agreement brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump that has been in effect across the Kherson frontline region since Tuesday. The truce has allowed for the demining of roads leading out of the town, creating a critical window for residents to depart safely.
Residents wishing to leave have a four-hour window to evacuate before 14:00 local time (12:00 GMT). A convoy consisting of 25 buses is prepared to transport up to 750 people, accompanied by ambulances for those with limited mobility. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that everyone who wishes to leave will be given the opportunity to do so safely. He also noted that those deciding to remain will receive necessary humanitarian assistance.
The evacuation route is complex; evacuees must first travel through Russian-occupied territory to the southern Russian city of Anapa. From there, they will board a Russian government plane to Gomel in Belarus before driving across the border into Ukraine's Chernihiv region. Ukrainian territory lies approximately 5km from Oleshky, but the current path requires transit through occupied zones. Some residents are expected to choose to stay within Russian-controlled areas instead.
Despite the widespread devastation and a complete lack of gas, electricity, and running water in Oleshky, it is understood that several hundred people have decided to remain. Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, visited the town together on Friday. Lantratova posted a video indicating that residents were given the choice to form two groups: one for transport to Russian-controlled territory and another for Ukraine. In his own social media posts, Lubinets was seen meeting with tearful locals and acknowledged that many are choosing to stay by their own volition.
Russia announced on Thursday that it had prepared dozens of tonnes of aid for those remaining, including food, medicine, hygiene products, and fuel for generators. However, the conditions in the town remain dire. One resident told the BBC she decided against leaving because evacuation protocols would not allow her to take her animals. Olena, a resident now living in Kyiv, reported that her grandmother and wider family are also staying behind, noting that the older generation is reluctant to leave.
Olena shared harrowing details about the situation on the ground, revealing that her grandmother's sister died last winter after losing her legs to a landmine covered in snow. She described how locals transport the wounded and deceased to the hospital and morgue using garden wheelbarrows due to the lack of proper medical transport. The current ceasefire is scheduled to remain in force until the end of Sunday, November 1, marking the first few days of peace in the Kherson region since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Sources: BBC News World.