A group of Ukrainian citizens evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky arrived in Belarus on Saturday morning, with officials confirming they are scheduled to return to Ukrainian territory later in the day. The evacuation was conducted on Friday during a temporary local ceasefire that enabled residents to leave the heavily damaged city.
According to Belarusian state media and senior Ukrainian official David Arakhamia, four aircraft carrying the evacuees landed in the Belarusian city of Gomel. Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that a convoy of buses subsequently departed Gomel airport to transport the citizens toward the Ukrainian border.
Humanitarian Ceasefire and Evacuation Route
The evacuation was made possible by a temporary humanitarian ceasefire negotiated across the Kherson frontline area, which took effect earlier in the week. The agreement provided a break in fighting to allow for the clearing of mines along the departure route from Oleshky. The localized truce is scheduled to remain active until the end of Sunday, November 1.
During a four-hour window on Friday afternoon, a convoy of 25 buses capable of transporting 750 people left the city alongside specialized ambulances to assist individuals with limited mobility. Because Ukrainian military positions are located just five kilometers from Oleshky, the transport route required evacuees to travel deeper into Russian-occupied territory to the southern Russian city of Anapa, where they were flown to Belarus.
Conditions in the City and Official Visits
Despite the widespread destruction and a total lack of essential utilities, including gas, electricity, and running water, several hundred residents chose to remain in Oleshky. Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that those who stayed behind will be provided with humanitarian assistance. Russian officials previously stated that shipments of food, medicine, hygiene supplies, and generator fuel were prepared for residents remaining in the area.
The evacuation involved direct joint monitoring on the ground. Lubinets traveled to Oleshky alongside Russian official Yana Lantratova, setting off from Armiansk in Russian-occupied Crimea. The journey marked the first time a Ukrainian official has visited Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine since the conflict began in 2022. Lubinets explained that the cooperation was carried out specifically to save lives, though the joint appearance drew mixed reactions within Ukraine.
Source: BBC News
