Oleshky residents evacuate via convoy as ceasefire holds

Ukrainian residents of Oleshky are leaving the Russian-occupied city as an evacuation corridor opens.

The evacuation is proceeding under a ceasefire that has been in effect across the Kherson frontline region since Tuesday. The truce was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump and allows for the demining of the road leading out of the town. Authorities have established a four-hour window for departures. A convoy consisting of 25 buses is scheduled to transport up to 750 people until 14:00 local time, or 12:00 GMT. Ambulances are included in the convoy to assist individuals with limited mobility.

Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that anyone wishing to leave will be given the opportunity to do so safely. He noted that those choosing to remain will receive necessary humanitarian assistance. Lubinets traveled to Oleshky on Friday alongside his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova. Lantratova posted a video on social media indicating that residents were organized into two groups based on their destination preference. Lubinets shared footage of meeting locals in the town. In the video, he said, "The problem is that a lot of people are staying." He added that it was their own choice and that efforts would be made to ensure humanitarian aid arrived.

The route for evacuees involves traveling first into Russian-occupied territory before reaching the southern Russian city of Anapa. From there, they will board a Russian government plane bound for Gomel in Belarus. The journey concludes with a drive across the border into Ukraine's Chernihiv region. Ukrainian territory lies 5km from Oleshky, but the direct path is not the designated route for this evacuation. Russia announced on Thursday that it had prepared dozens of tonnes of aid for those staying. This supplies include food, medicine, hygiene products, and fuel for generators.

Several hundred residents have decided to stay in the town despite widespread devastation and the absence of gas, electricity, and running water. One resident told the BBC she chose to remain because the evacuation would not take her animals. Olena, a resident of Kyiv, said her grandmother and wider family in Oleshky are also staying. She explained that the older generation does not want to leave. She noted that she only persuaded her father to consider leaving because of her newborn baby. Her grandmother's sister died in Oleshky last winter after stepping on a landmine covered in snow. Olena described how locals transport wounded and dead people to the hospital and morgue using garden wheelbarrows.

The ceasefire is scheduled to remain in force until the end of Sunday, 1 November. This period marks the first few days of peace in the Kherson region since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.