Evacuees from Oleshky require medical treatment; some are already prepared to testify about Russian crimes, — the Ombudsman’s Office

Evacuation of Oleshky residents. Photo: Stas Kozlyuk

Residents of occupied Oleshky who managed to flee to territory controlled by Ukraine are under medical supervision. Some of them are already prepared to tell law enforcement officers about Russian crimes, whilst others need time to recover from their ordeal.

This was reported by Olga Altunina, a representative of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, during a broadcast on «Vechir.LIVE».

The evacuees have been accommodated in several hospitals. There, they are undergoing medical examinations and, where necessary, are being transferred to other medical facilities. According to Olga Altunina, some people have been found to have serious health problems.

In particular, one man was taken to the intensive care unit due to a sharp rise in blood pressure. His condition has now stabilised.

«The man has been eating a normal diet for several days. Just yesterday, he was taken to the intensive care unit because his blood pressure rose due to these issues… but everything has now been sorted out, his condition has stabilised, and he’s doing well,» she said.

Another patient, whose fracture has not healed properly, is scheduled for an operation. The evacuees also need psychological support, eye tests and dental treatment. Many have experienced a deterioration in their eyesight due to living without electricity for a long time. Our partners are already ready to provide glasses to those who need them.

«As for the rest, despite being in such a poor emotional state, they actually have no health complaints. We can see it, but they themselves do not yet realise it. Most likely, this will become apparent a little later,» added Olha Altunina.

She also mentioned that some residents of Oleshky have agreed to give evidence to the police regarding Russian war crimes. At the same time, some people are not yet able to talk about what they have been through due to severe stress. They will not be forced to give evidence straight away — information will be gathered as the evacuees recover psychologically.

Among other things, people are recounting instances of local residents being forcibly removed. One woman described how Russian soldiers put a sack over her head and forcibly dragged her out of her own home. Despite the threats and being jostled with assault rifles, the woman insisted on being allowed into the kitchen. There, she took a jar of rice in which she had hidden Ukrainian passports.

«She says: «I know I’ve got a jar of rice in my kitchen, and there are Ukrainian passports in it. I tell him: «I need to get something.» And they get nervous, shoving me with their rifles, but I realise I need to get the jar,» said the Ombudsman’s representative.

Olha Altunina noted that the residents of Oleshky had kept their Ukrainian documents, clothing bearing national symbols and other personal belongings even during the prolonged occupation.

How residents of occupied Oleshky were evacuated

During the humanitarian operation, the Defence Forces evacuated 167 people from the right bank of the Kherson region. According to the General Staff, people were transported via mined and damaged roads.

The last plane carrying residents of occupied Oleshky arrived in Belarus on 31 October. From there, those who decided to return to Ukraine travelled to government-controlled territory and crossed the border in the Chernihiv region.

The oldest person evacuated was 94 years old, and the youngest was just over a year old. People also took their pets with them, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon.

In addition, a ceasefire lasting more than five days made it possible to repatriate the bodies of those who had died in Oleshky. Among them were Ukrainian military personnel and civilians.