Oleshky evacuation begins under truce brokered by Melania Trump

Ukraine’s ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets traveled to Oleshky on Thursday to oversee the evacuation of hundreds of residents from the occupied town. The operation marks the first time a senior Ukrainian official has openly crossed into Russian-controlled territory since the war began. Lubinets is personally escorting those who wish to leave toward Ukrainian lines.

The evacuation is set to start in the early afternoon local time on Friday. A fleet of 25 buses, with a combined capacity of 750 seats, is deployed for the mission. The vehicles will travel through Crimea, Russia, and Belarus before reaching the Ukrainian border on Saturday. The temporary ceasefire that allows this movement expired on Tuesday and is scheduled to end on Sunday.

Approximately 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, including 50 children, according to Ukrainian authorities. The town in the Kherson region has been under continuous Russian occupation since April 2022. All access routes were previously blocked by mines or drone activity, making escape impossible for months.

Ukrainian officials reported that the town ran out of food and supplies in September. Residents have gone without electricity, gas, or medicine. Reports indicate that survivors were searching for scraps and eating weeds, while bodies of the dead were left in the streets.

Lubinets’ Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, was also present in Oleshky. Videos from the scene show the two officials standing together while speaking with local residents. Lubinets said in a statement that those wishing to go to the Russian Federation are gathering, while others want to leave for Ukraine. He noted that everyone would be provided with the opportunity to choose their destination.

In another video, Lubinets addressed residents about those choosing to stay. He stated that it is their own choice and that authorities will ensure humanitarian aid reaches them. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based conflict observer, noted that 40% of the town’s prewar population of 24,000 fled early in the war. Many others remained, unable or unwilling to leave.

Oleshky sits near the banks of the Dnipro river, directly opposite Ukrainian military positions. The town plays a role in Russian military operations in the region. As the two sides fire at each other, the remaining population is caught in the middle. President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of mining the access routes to prevent people from leaving.

The ceasefire has also brought relief to Kherson, the Ukraine-controlled capital of the region. That city has faced near-constant drone attacks from Russia. The truce has expanded across the region, providing a temporary pause in the fighting that has trapped Oleshky’s population for months.