People evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky have reached Ukrainian-controlled territory in the Chernihiv region, President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed, according to BBC News. The Oleshky evacuation group crossed Ukraine’s northern border on Saturday after travelling through Russia and Belarus. Residents of the frontline city had been trapped without food, water and electricity, with many resorting to cooking garden weeds to survive.
- Evacuees from Oleshky crossed into Ukraine’s Chernihiv region on Saturday.
- Residents had survived without food, water or electricity, with some cooking garden weeds.
- A humanitarian ceasefire in Kherson allowed the evacuation and aid delivery.
- The ceasefire is scheduled to remain in place until the end of Sunday, 1 November.
The Oleshky Evacuation Journey
The evacuees left Oleshky on Friday afternoon during a four-hour window. A convoy of 25 buses, with space for 750 people, departed along with ambulances for people with limited mobility. Ukrainian military positions lie just 5km from the city, but the direct route was too dangerous because escape paths had been mined and were subject to drone attack. Bridges across the nearby River Dnipro have been destroyed, and the riverbank is mined. Instead, people travelled into Russian-occupied territory, then to the southern Russian city of Anapa, flew to Gomel in Belarus, and finally crossed into Ukraine from the north. One resident who fled three weeks earlier told the BBC he had walked through 24km of minefields to reach safety.
Local Ceasefire in Kherson
A humanitarian ceasefire took effect across the Kherson region on Tuesday, providing the first few days of peace in the area in four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The pause allowed the road out of Oleshky to be cleared of mines and humanitarian aid to be delivered. Zelensky thanked US First Lady Melania Trump for her efforts in brokering the local ceasefire that paved the way for the evacuation. Ceasefire measures will remain in place until the end of Sunday, 1 November.
Conditions and Those Who Stayed Behind
Before the war, Oleshky was home to 24,000 people and was seized by Russia during the first days of the full-scale invasion. Conditions had become so desperate that getting supplies into the city was extremely difficult. Several hundred people are understood to have decided to stay despite widespread devastation and a lack of gas, electricity and running water. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said on Friday morning that those who remained will receive all the necessary humanitarian assistance. 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.
Officials, Criticism and Next Steps
Lubinets travelled to Oleshky on Friday alongside his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, setting off from Armiansk in the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Lubinets is the first Ukrainian official since the start of the war to visit Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. He said he carried out the cooperation in the interests of saving lives. Some people in Ukraine criticised the sight of him standing beside a representative of the Russian occupying power, while Zelensky praised Lubinets and his team for helping move evacuees to safety. Footage shared by Zelensky showed Oleshky residents waving Ukrainian flags as they boarded a bus. Zelensky said all evacuees will receive the assistance they need and that government agencies must help people adapt.
Why It Matters and What to Watch Next
The evacuation shines a light on the humanitarian catastrophe in Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by Russia, where basic services have been cut off for years. With the ceasefire due to end on Sunday, observers will watch for whether further evacuation corridors open, whether aid reaches those who remained, and whether the pause in fighting is extended. The situation remains fluid as authorities on both sides manage the aftermath of the first major civilian movement out of Oleshky in years.
FAQ
Where is Oleshky?
Oleshky is a city in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. It was seized by Russia in the opening days of the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022.
How many people left Oleshky?
The convoy had space for 750 people across 25 buses, though the exact number of evacuees was not specified in the source. Several hundred people are believed to have stayed behind in the city.
Why did evacuees travel through Russia and Belarus?
Routes directly out of Oleshky were mined and exposed to drone attack, with Ukrainian positions only 5km away. Evacuees therefore travelled into Russian-occupied territory, then through Anapa in Russia and Gomel in Belarus, before entering Ukraine from its northern border.
Source: BBC News
