Evacuation Underway in Russian-Occupied Oleshky as Ceasefire Holds

The evacuation of residents from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky has begun, with authorities from both Russia and Ukraine confirming the operation. A ceasefire, brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, has been established along the frontline region, allowing for the demining of the road out of the city. The evacuation window is four hours, with a convoy of 25 buses intended to transport up to 750 people. Ambulances are also available for individuals with limited mobility. Despite the widespread devastation and the absence of gas, electricity, and running water, several hundred residents have reportedly chosen to remain in Oleshky. "Everyone who wishes to leave Oleshky will be given the opportunity to do so safely," stated Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman. "At the same time, those who decide to remain will be able to stay and will receive all the necessary humanitarian assistance." Evacuees will first travel through Russian-occupied territory to the southern Russian city of Anapa. From there, they are expected to board a Russian government plane to Gomel, Belarus, before crossing the border into Ukraine's Chernihiv region. Some may choose to remain in Russian-controlled territory. Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, visited Oleshky together on Friday. Lantratova later shared a video from the town, indicating that residents were given a choice to be taken to Russian-controlled territory or to Ukraine. Lubinets' own social media showed him meeting with residents. He expressed concern that many were choosing to stay, but assured that humanitarian aid would be provided. Russia announced on Thursday that it had prepared substantial aid for those who opt not to leave, including food, medicine, hygiene products, and fuel for generators. One Oleshky resident, who declined to leave because her animals could not be transported, told the BBC that her grandmother and other family members in the city were also staying. She noted that the older generation is reluctant to leave, recounting a harrowing incident where her grandmother's sister died after stepping on a landmine and was transported to the hospital in a garden wheelbarrow, a method apparently used for all wounded and deceased in the city. The ceasefire, in effect until Sunday, November 1, marks the first period of peace in the Kherson region since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.