Residents of Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in Ukraine's Kherson region, began evacuating on Friday under a temporary ceasefire that opened a road out of the town.1,3
The ceasefire, brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump, took effect Tuesday across the frontline Kherson region to allow the road to be demined, and Russian and Ukrainian authorities confirmed the evacuation was underway. It has provided the first few days of peace in the Kherson region since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.1
Twenty-five buses for up to 750 passengers, with ambulances for people with limited mobility, were brought in for residents who had a four-hour window to leave until 2 p.m. local time, or 12 p.m. GMT. Demining of designated routes was completed after mine-clearing began on the morning of Oct. 27, and while Ukrainian territory lies 5km from Oleshky, those leaving for Ukraine must first travel southeast through occupied territory and Crimea to Anapa in southern Russia, then take a Russian government plane to Gomel in Belarus before driving into Ukraine's Chernihiv region.1,3,4
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova traveled together to Oleshky on Friday from Armiansk in Russian-occupied Crimea and held a joint press briefing in Armiansk ahead of the evacuation. Lubinets is the first Ukrainian official since the start of the war to visit Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and he is to escort evacuees back into Ukraine on Saturday, work he said he carried out in the interests of saving lives. Both officials said residents could form two groups depending on whether they wanted to go to Russian-controlled territory or to Ukraine, and Lubinets was filmed meeting tearful residents.1,3
"Everyone who wishes to leave Oleshky will be given the opportunity to do so safely," Lubinets said. "At the same time, those who decide to remain will be able to stay and will receive all the necessary humanitarian assistance." In Oleshky he added, "The problem is that a lot of people are staying," and "I was told that it was their own choice, we will do everything possible for the humanitarian aid to arrive."1
Several hundred people were understood to have decided to stay despite the lack of gas, electricity and running water. About 2,000 people are still living in the town, where former residents have described hunger and no access to medicine, after Russia's occupation of the town in 2022 and flooding from the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam in 2023 left all access routes mined. Russia said Thursday it had prepared "dozens of tonnes" of aid including food, medicine, hygiene products and fuel for generators for those who remain. One resident said she would not leave because "they wouldn't take my animals, so that's it."1,4
Olena, who now lives in Kyiv, said her grandmother and wider family were staying, explaining, "The older generation does not want to leave," and "I've barely managed to persuade my father - and only because I've just had a baby, who he would never see otherwise." She said her grandmother's sister died in Oleshky last winter, saying, "She lost her legs after stepping on a landmine, covered in snow... People took her to the hospital in a garden wheelbarrow," and "That's how locals transport all wounded and dead people in Oleshky to the hospital and the hospital's morgue: in garden wheelbarrows." Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that one person was injured Oct. 29 by the explosion of a Russian mine.1,3
How many people will go to each destination is not yet known. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said 527 residents planned to travel to Ukrainian-controlled territory, then wrote on Telegram that he had shared the figure "by mistake" and that "no exact numbers" were available. Lantratova confirmed the evacuation had begun with people gradually boarding buses, saying some wanted to go to Russia and others to Ukrainian-controlled territory without specifying how many were in each group. As of nearly 11:30 a.m. Kyiv time, Lubinets said the Ukrainian delegation had safely reached Oleshky, and the ceasefire had been in effect for 80 hours and was still holding.3
Evacuation volunteer Kseniia Arkhipova said Russia violated the agreement by starting the evacuation early, and footage broadcast by Russian state news agency TASS appears to show civilians being moved with only Russian forces present before the agreed-upon date of departure, Oct. 30, with interviews with people it claimed were evacuated from Oleshky on Oct. 29. The Kyiv Independent reported, citing a source familiar with events on the ground speaking on condition of anonymity, that hospital patients were registered and told they faced filtration if they left, that Russian forces had refused to go house to house to inform sick and immobile people, and that people in outlying villages were told they could be shot if they approached the assembly point.3
The Russian-installed head of occupied Kherson Oblast, Volodymyr Saldo, said Oct. 27 that residents would have a choice to stay in Russia or travel to Ukrainian-controlled territory "to reunite with their families." Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had warned that Russia was preparing to stage "dozens" of videos, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said Oct. 25 that Russia would likely "do everything it can to clear the roads in such a way that these people head toward Russia and remain there." David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky's parliamentary faction, said around noon that humanitarian aid had been delivered and "technical support" was being provided to those wishing to evacuate.3
Residents of Kherson said they were "overjoyed" by the ceasefire but were concerned it had given Russia time to build up its military presence on the banks of the Dnipro River, which could result in a renewed assault once the ceasefire expires. On Friday, the Kremlin made it clear that the success of the Oleshky ceasefire should not be interpreted as willingness to extend the truce to the rest of Ukraine. A handful of foreign journalists were invited to witness the evacuation. Many Ukrainians suspect Russia's intention is to earn credit with the White House and give U.S. President Donald Trump a boost ahead of next week's midterm elections.1
The ceasefire is due to remain in force until the end of Sunday, Nov. 1. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said preliminary medical examinations of residents preparing to leave were expected to be completed by 2 p.m. local time on Oct. 30. Humanitarian aid distribution is scheduled to begin after 2:30 p.m., according to the ombudsman, and Lubinets is to accompany those headed for Ukraine via Belarus on Saturday. Lubinets said the Ukrainian and Russian delegations were accompanied by media representatives from three countries, though photos published by Ukraine's Ombudsman's Office show predominantly Russian media outlets, and everyone involved in this operation has been asked to maintain strict confidentiality.1,3,4
