A temporary agreement between Russia and Ukraine has opened evacuation routes into the devastated city of Oleshky, where approximately 2,000 civilians have endured years of warfare, isolation and severe shortages of essential supplies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Civilian evacuations began Friday, Oct. 30, in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky as a humanitarian convoy carrying food, medicine and emergency supplies entered the community under a temporary ceasefire negotiated with the assistance of U.S. first lady Melania Trump.
The operation brings Russian and Ukrainian humanitarian representatives together in a rare coordinated mission after more than four years of war. Twenty-five buses, providing at least 750 seats, have been assembled to transport residents who wish to leave the city, according to officials overseeing the evacuation.
Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, are coordinating the mission, which allows civilians to choose whether to relocate to Ukrainian-controlled territory, travel to Russia or remain in Oleshky and receive humanitarian assistance.
“We are in Oleshky,” Lubinets said in a statement. “People who want to go to the territory of the Russian Federation are gathering here, and there are people who want to leave for the territory of Ukraine. Everyone will be provided with such an opportunity.”
According to an Associated Press report on the humanitarian operation, approximately 1,000 remaining residents have expressed interest in leaving Oleshky, although the final number of evacuees has not been established. The temporary ceasefire is expected to remain in effect through Sunday evening, allowing officials to deliver supplies and coordinate civilian departures.
Four journalists from Newsmax are accompanying the humanitarian mission as American observers, documenting the evacuation process and efforts to ensure that residents’ preferences are respected.
The White House announced the agreement Oct. 23 after negotiations involving Melania Trump, her representatives and officials from both countries. The arrangement requires Russian and Ukrainian forces to suspend military operations in and around Oleshky while humanitarian teams distribute supplies and escort civilians through designated evacuation corridors.
“The situation in Oleshky is dire. Oleshky is a front-line war city on the brink of disaster,” the first lady said in announcing the agreement.
“Oleshky’s remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” she continued. “The people of Oleshky have limited electricity, live amid mined roads, and endure regular military attacks. It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”
The ceasefire took effect at 3 a.m. Kyiv time Tuesday, Oct. 27, after both sides completed preparations for the mission. Ukrainian officials reported that the agreement had remained in force without recorded violations during the initial stages of the operation.
Before humanitarian vehicles could enter the city, Russian and Ukrainian authorities coordinated extensive mine-clearing operations along designated routes. Two people reportedly died during that work, underscoring the dangers facing personnel attempting to establish safe passage through the front-line area.
Both countries subsequently confirmed that the necessary demining operations had been completed, clearing the way for the arrival of humanitarian supplies and evacuation vehicles.
The Kyiv Post reported Friday that civilian delegations were preparing to visit residents at their homes to assess immediate needs, identify people requiring medical attention and determine where families wished to relocate.
Residents choosing to leave for Ukrainian-controlled territory are expected to travel along a designated route through Russian-held territory, including Crimea, before crossing Russia and Belarus to return to Ukraine. The journey is expected to take at least a day, with Ukrainian authorities coordinating reception arrangements for evacuees.
Those choosing to remain in Oleshky will receive food, medicine and other essential supplies, while humanitarian officials assess whether additional assistance can be delivered before the ceasefire expires.
The mission follows months of deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Oleshky, situated on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River opposite the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson.
Russian forces occupied Oleshky during the opening stages of Moscow’s February 2022 invasion. The city subsequently became part of the front line as Ukrainian and Russian forces exchanged artillery fire and conducted drone operations across the river.
Before the war, approximately 24,000 people lived in Oleshky. The White House estimates that only 1,700 to 2,000 remain, predominantly elderly residents unable or unwilling to leave, along with approximately 50 children.
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 flooded approximately 90% of the city’s territory, causing widespread damage to homes, public infrastructure and essential services. Continued fighting and restrictions on movement further isolated the remaining population.
Electricity, heating and running water have been largely unavailable, while shortages of food, drinking water, medication and medical treatment have created increasingly difficult conditions for residents.
Roads surrounding the city have also been heavily mined, complicating earlier attempts to evacuate civilians or deliver humanitarian assistance.
Melania Trump said the negotiations originated after she learned about conditions in Oleshky during a private discussion at her Fostering the Future Together event in New York City during the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
She and her representatives subsequently contacted Russian and Ukrainian officials through communication channels previously established during efforts to reunite children separated from their families by the war.
According to the White House, those earlier efforts helped reunite 34 children with their families through six separate operations.
“My representative and I immediately leveraged the communication channel we established with Russia and Ukraine through the previous six reunifications of 34 children,” Trump said. “Both nations promptly assigned teams to coordinate the complex mechanics involved, including demining. All parties have worked around the clock since that moment.”
The first lady described her involvement as that of an intermediary helping establish the agreement’s timing, operational procedures and humanitarian objectives.
“Non-military, civilian leaders from both countries will work together to visit Oleshky residents in their homes and determine the level of assistance they require,” she said. “Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination. I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine.”
She also emphasized the importance of independent observation during the mission.
“I have also secured an impartial American media organization to accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process,” Trump said. “This will play a significant role in ensuring that the wishes of each family are faithfully respected.”
Although the humanitarian agreement represents an unusual instance of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv, questions remain about whether residents will be able to select their destinations freely.
Ukrainian officials and residents have expressed concerns that Russian authorities could pressure civilians to relocate to Russian territory or interfere with evacuation routes. Some residents also fear interrogation or detention because of their political views or perceived loyalties.
The presence of Ukrainian humanitarian representatives alongside Russian officials is intended to provide additional oversight and help ensure that residents’ stated preferences are respected.
Pope Leo XIV has also supported efforts to establish humanitarian access to Oleshky, urging both governments to allow civilians to leave safely and essential supplies to enter.
The ceasefire remains limited to Oleshky and its surrounding area. Military operations have continued elsewhere along the Ukrainian front, with both countries reporting additional drone and missile attacks during the humanitarian mission.
The evacuation is therefore not part of a broader peace agreement or nationwide suspension of hostilities. Its purpose is to provide temporary relief to civilians who have remained in an isolated and heavily damaged city.
With transportation arranged, designated routes cleared and humanitarian teams operating inside Oleshky, the immediate priority is to move residents who wish to leave while ensuring that those who remain receive emergency assistance before the temporary agreement expires.
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