Ukrainians Evacuated From Oleshky Arrive in Belarus

Residents evacuated from the devastated Russian-occupied city of Oleshky have arrived in Belarus and are expected back in Ukraine. The evacuation took place on Friday during a local ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump.

Planes carrying Oleshky residents landed in the city of Gomel on Saturday morning, according to Belarusian state media and a senior Ukrainian official. David Arakhamia, a key Ukrainian official, stated that the final plane had landed in Gomel and that all Ukrainian citizens evacuated from Oleshky, along with the Ukrainian delegation, would be on Ukrainian territory within a few hours. The state-owned Belarusian news agency Belta reported that a bus convoy of Oleshky residents had departed from Gomel airport and was en route to the Ukrainian border.

A humanitarian ceasefire took effect across the frontline region of Kherson on Tuesday, marking the first period of peace in the area in four years, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The ceasefire was established to allow for the demining of the road out of Oleshky and is scheduled to remain in place until the end of Sunday, November 1.

Residents had a four-hour window to leave the town on Friday afternoon before a convoy of 25 buses, with capacity for 750 people, departed. Ambulances were also available for individuals with limited mobility. Several hundred people reportedly decided to remain in the war-torn city, despite significant devastation and a lack of essential services such as gas, electricity, and running water. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, confirmed on Friday morning that those who chose to stay would receive all necessary humanitarian assistance.