The Ukrainian delegation together with evacuated residents of the temporarily occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region left the city and headed to the Russian city of Anapa. This is the next stage of the humanitarian operation providing for the return of civilians to territory controlled by Ukraine.
This was reported on October 30 by David Arakhamia, head of the parliamentary faction "Servant of the People", who is involved in organizing the humanitarian mission.
According to him, from Anapa the evacuees are planned to be taken by air to Belarus, and then by buses to Ukraine. This procedure for the return of civilians was agreed earlier within the framework of humanitarian agreements between the parties.
Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets heads the Ukrainian delegation that arrived in Oleshky on October 30. In the city, mission representatives organized the distribution of food, medicines and other essentials, and also helped residents who wished to evacuate.
For the operation, 25 buses with a total capacity of at least 750 people, ambulances and special vehicles for people with reduced mobility were prepared. However, the number of prepared places does not mean that all of them are occupied by evacuees.
The exact number of people who left Oleshky has not yet been officially established. Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Koretsky earlier named a preliminary number of evacuees, but later admitted that those data were erroneous and called on the media not to spread unconfirmed information. According to him, final information about the operation will be published after its completion.
Ukrainian authorities have also prepared to receive evacuated citizens. After returning to territory controlled by Ukraine, they will be provided with medical examinations, essentials, clothing, hygiene products and temporary accommodation.
Earlier, Lubinets explained that residents of Oleshky can decide for themselves whether to leave the city. For those who preferred to stay, the humanitarian mission should provide necessary assistance. A representative of the charity Save Ukraine, Myroslava Kharchenko, also noted that the agreed evacuation mechanism opens an opportunity for departure for people who have lost their documents and feared checks on the Russian side.
The humanitarian operation became possible thanks to a local ceasefire that began on October 27. The agreement provides for its maintenance until 22:59 on November 1. As of the morning of October 30, the Ukrainian ombudsman reported that the silence regime had lasted more than 80 hours without recorded violations.
The mission was prepared with the participation of representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia. The mediating role in reaching humanitarian agreements was played by First Lady of the United States Melania Trump. Coordination on the ground is carried out directly by Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova.
As previously reported by "Kurs Ukrainy", on the morning of October 30 the Ukrainian delegation reached Oleshky and began direct evacuation of civilians. The day before, the parties completed preparation of the humanitarian convoy and demining of the necessary sections.
Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2022. During the war, the humanitarian situation in the city deteriorated significantly; local residents faced shortages of food, medicine and accessible medical care.
The current departure of evacuees became a new stage of the humanitarian mission. At the same time, the departure of people from Oleshky does not yet mean the completion of the operation: confirmation of their arrival on the territory controlled by Ukraine is not yet available.
Based on materials from: David Arakhamia, Suspilne, LB.ua, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
