Evacuation of Russian-occupied Oleshky begins with aid convoy on way
Residents in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky began a desperate evacuation on Friday as a localised ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv held for a third day.
A fleet of 25 buses with at least 750 seats stood ready to withdraw locals seeking to leave, Kyiv’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said. His Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, added that space would also be provided for their pets.
The beleaguered frontline town in southern Ukraine, under Russian occupation since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, is subject to a temporary ceasefire until Sunday, reportedly following brokering efforts from US First Lady Melania Trump.
Up to 6,000 people, including 200 children, remain in the town and its surrounding areas, trapped without regular access to food, water or electricity. Many are said to have resorted to cooking garden weeds and pigeons to survive.
Ukrainian prime minister Sergiy Koretskyi said on Friday that 527 residents of the town were expected to return to Ukraine-held territory. Speaking to parliament, he added that they would travel through Russia to Belarus, where they would then enter Ukraine through the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
The figure was not final, he said.
Russian newspaper Izvestia on Friday published clips of passenger buses parked along a road. Reporters from Western countries, Russia and Ukraine would accompany the convoy, it added. The convoy also includes ambulances and other vehicles for an aid mission due to take place later on Friday, Mr Lubinets said.
“Our main task is to ensure that this aid reaches every person who needs it,” he added. The convoy has been set up in Armyansk, a town in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine about 50 miles south of Oleshky.
The convoy is expected to head for the district hospital and residents wishing to leave will be permitted to go within a specific time frame, until 2pm local time. Aid packages would then be distributed, officials said.
Ms Lantratova was quoted as saying Moscow and Kyiv were sticking to their agreements, while a ceasefire was holding to enable aid to the town. Both commissioners and the US side had helped mediate the ceasefire.
“People who wish to travel to the Russian Federation are gathering here,” she said. “There are also people here who wish to travel to Ukraine. Everyone will be given the opportunity to do so.”
It follows weeks of efforts to organise a relief operation for residents of the acutely deprived town, which effectively stopped receiving regular food supplies in January.
Ukraine last month appealed to international organisations to help deliver aid to the town and facilitate evacuations, but Russia did not agree to provide safe access until a humanitarian agreement was announced last Friday.
According to the White House, residents wishing to leave during this week’s ceasefire would receive assistance and transportation to either Ukrainian-controlled territory or Russia.
