The evacuation of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky is under way, and both Russian and Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the operation. It is taking place under a ceasefire covering the entire frontline region of Kherson, which has been in force since Tuesday. The truce, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, has allowed the road out of Oleshky to be cleared of mines.
Residents who wanted to leave were given a four-hour window to do so. A convoy of 25 buses was brought in to carry up to 750 people out of the town until 14:00 (12:00 GMT), and ambulances were made available for people with limited mobility. Several hundred people are understood to have decided to stay, despite widespread devastation and the lack of gas, electricity and running water.
Evacuees face a long route through Russian-held territory
Ukrainian territory lies just 5km (3.1 miles) from Oleshky, but evacuees will not be taken there directly. Instead, the route runs through Russian-controlled areas and includes several stages:
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- Travelling through Russian-occupied territory to the southern Russian city of Anapa
- Boarding a Russian government plane to Gomel in Belarus
- Driving across the border into Ukraine’s Chernihiv region
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said that “everyone who wishes to leave Oleshky will be given the opportunity to do so safely.” He added that those who choose to remain would be able to stay and would receive all necessary humanitarian assistance. Others are expected to remain in Russian-occupied territory.
Both Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, posted videos from Oleshky on their social media channels. The footage showed people being divided into two groups, depending on whether they wanted to be taken to Russian-controlled territory or to Ukraine. In one video, Lubinets is seen speaking with tearful locals, saying that “a lot of people are staying.”
Lubinets’s trip alongside a Russian official draws criticism
Lubinets and Lantratova travelled together to Oleshky on Friday, setting off from Armiansk in the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Lubinets is the first Ukrainian official since the start of the war to visit the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. He is also set to become the first to enter Russia, when he escorts the evacuees back into Ukraine on Saturday.
The ceasefire required close cooperation with Lantratova, and Lubinets said he took part in the arrangement in the interests of saving lives. Some in Ukraine, however, have reacted with anger at the sight of him standing beside a representative of the Russian occupying power, which has killed many of the city’s residents and made life unbearable for the rest.
Russia said on Thursday that it had prepared “dozens of tonnes” of aid for residents who do not wish to leave, including food, medicine, hygiene products and fuel for generators. On Friday, the Kremlin made clear that the success of the Oleshky ceasefire should not be read as a willingness to extend the truce to the rest of Ukraine. A handful of foreign journalists were invited to witness the evacuation, which Moscow is expected to present as a humanitarian mission. Many Ukrainians suspect Russia’s real aim is to earn credit with the White House and give US President Donald Trump a boost ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
Residents staying behind describe loss and fear
One Oleshky resident told journalists she had decided not to leave because “they wouldn’t take my animals, so that’s it.” Olena, who now lives in Kyiv, said that her grandmother and wider family were also staying behind. She said she had barely persuaded her father to leave, and only because he had never met her newborn baby.
Olena also described the death of her grandmother’s sister in Oleshky last winter. She said the woman lost her legs after stepping on a landmine, and that people carried her to hospital in a garden wheelbarrow. “That’s how locals transport all wounded and dead people in Oleshky to the hospital and the hospital’s morgue,” Olena said.
The ceasefire is due to remain in force until the end of Sunday, 1 November. It has brought the first few days of peace to the Kherson region since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Residents of Kherson told journalists they were “overjoyed” by the truce. However, they are worried that it has given Russia time to build up its military presence on the banks of the Dnipro river, which could lead to a renewed assault once the ceasefire expires.
