Humanitarian convoy evacuates civilians from Russian-held Oleshky amid ceasefire
A joint relief operation delivered food and medicine and began evacuating residents from the besieged city of Oleshky, with some heading to Russia and others to Ukraine.
A humanitarian convoy arrived in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Oleshky on Friday, delivering food and medicine and beginning the first evacuation of civilians since the war started more than four years ago. The operation, involving 25 buses and ambulances, was made possible by a localised ceasefire that allowed roads out of the city to be de-mined.
Residents who chose to leave will travel to the Russian city of Anapa, then fly to Belarus before taking a bus to the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. Davyd Arakhamia, a lawmaker with the Servant of the People party, said, "From there, they will fly by plane to Belarus, and then travel by bus to their homes."
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, posted online that the humanitarian operation was underway in Oleshky. The Ukrainian delegation arrived late Friday morning, and footage showed residents gathering in heavy rain to await the convoy. One woman identified as “Anna” confirmed she was on a bus heading to Ukraine.
The city’s population has fallen to about 2,000, with many residents describing severe food shortages and the dangers of traveling on mine-strewn roads. A volunteer, Ksenia Arkhipova, said Russian military personnel were checking empty houses and pressuring locals to evacuate to Russia.
The ceasefire that enabled the convoy was cited by the US first lady, Melania Trump, as a success she helped broker. The Kremlin described the evacuation as a special case that is difficult to extrapolate to broader peace efforts. Human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, coordinating with his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, said the aim was to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need.