Hundreds Return to Ukraine From Russian-Occupied Oleshky After Rare US-Brokered Ceasefire

Hundreds of civilians evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region arrived in Ukrainian-controlled territory on October 31 following a humanitarian operation facilitated by US First Lady Melania Trump and a temporary ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.

According to RBC-Ukraine on October 31, evacuees crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in the Chernihiv region, where medical teams, emergency services, and relatives were waiting for their arrival.

According to Newsmax journalist Alex Salvi, 11 buses carrying evacuated residents headed to Ukrainian-controlled territory, while another four buses traveled to Russia. Approximately 750 people had registered for evacuation, although Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the final number of evacuees.

The humanitarian mission involved a convoy of 25 buses, 50 medical workers, and ambulances. The evacuation route took residents from Oleshky through Russian-occupied Crimea to Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar region. From there, they traveled by aircraft to Gomel, Belarus, before continuing by bus to the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the operation, stating that the temporary ceasefire had allowed humanitarian supplies to reach Oleshky, roads to be cleared of mines, and civilians to leave the city and surrounding communities.

Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets, who accompanied the evacuees, said Ukrainian citizens had not been subjected to Russian filtration procedures, document inspections, or phone searches during the journey.

According to hromadske on October 31, Ukrainian authorities established reception facilities at the border, providing hot meals, medical examinations, wheelchairs, and assistance for children and pets. Among the evacuated animals were dogs, cats, a parrot, and a raccoon.

The oldest evacuated resident was 94 years old, while the youngest was just over one year old. Some residents described severe conditions under Russian occupation. One family had reportedly been trapped in a heavily damaged apartment building after its stairwell was destroyed, leaving a father with limited mobility unable to descend from the eighth floor.

Another resident reportedly survived 16 Russian drone attacks and four missile strikes on his home before being evacuated.

The humanitarian operation was facilitated by US First Lady Melania Trump, who announced arrangements for a localized ceasefire to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.

According to hromadske, the mission involved Ukrainian, American, and Russian representatives, with journalists from all three countries present during the operation. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations were not directly involved.

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War in Ukraine

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The temporary ceasefire, established in late October, is scheduled to remain in effect until November 1. Ukrainian officials reported no violations during the evacuation.

Oleshky lies approximately nine kilometers (5.6 miles) from Kherson, across the Dnipro River, and has remained under Russian occupation since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Before the invasion, the city had approximately 24,000 residents. By 2026, fewer than 2,000 people were believed to remain, many of them elderly or with limited mobility, according to local Ukrainian authorities cited by hromadske.

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