Evacuated residents of Oleshky are travelling to the Russian Federation, and from there via Belarus to Ukraine
Humanitarian mission in Oleshky. Photo: Kirill BudanovA Ukrainian delegation, together with evacuated residents of the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, is heading to Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai. From there, the people will be flown to Belarus and then travelled by coach to Ukraine.
This was announced by Davyd Arakhamia, leader of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary group and a member of the negotiating team.
«The Ukrainian delegation, together with the evacuated residents of Oleshky, has set off for Anapa. From there, they will fly to Belarus and then travel home by bus,» he said.
Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, reported that 25 buses with a total capacity of 750 seats had been prepared for the evacuation of Oleshky residents. Ambulances were also provided for people with reduced mobility.
Humanitarian mission in Oleshky. Photo: Kirill BudanovHumanitarian mission in Oleshky
Oleshky, on the left bank of the Kherson region, has been under Russian occupation since the start of the full-scale invasion. Due to the fighting and damage to infrastructure, local residents have limited access to food, drinking water and medicines. According to Ukrainian estimates, around two thousand people remain in the town.
On 23 October, Ukraine and Russia, with the mediation of US First Lady Melania Trump, agreed on a humanitarian mission to Oleshky. It provides for a ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the opportunity for civilians to leave.
The mission began on 27 October. On the Ukrainian side, it is being coordinated by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights. According to him, demining of the roads leading to Oleshky is currently underway and may take around two days. After that, the plan is to deliver drinking water, food, medicines and equipment for the local hospital.
At the same time, according to Dmytro Lubinets, some residents wish to remain in Oleshky. The issue of delivering humanitarian aid to these people is being dealt with separately.
On 29 October, Dmytro Lubinets reported that preparations for the humanitarian mission to Oleshky were entering their final stage. The clearance of the designated routes had been completed, and the humanitarian convoy had been assembled and prepared for departure.