Kyiv Seeks to Repeat Oleshky Evacuation Model After Unprecedented Six-Day Truce, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Says

Ukraine is seeking to replicate the humanitarian mechanism used to evacuate civilians from Russian-occupied Oleshky in other occupied settlements facing humanitarian disasters, Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said on Monday, Nov. 2, following a six-day ceasefire that enabled aid deliveries and civilian departures. The ceasefire, which ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, was the longest localized halt in fighting since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. It followed weeks of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, culminating in an agreement on a synchronized ceasefire timetable for the humanitarian mission. Speaking at the first press conference reviewing the operation, attended by Kyiv Post, Lubinets said Russia had honored all the agreements reached for the ceasefire, with no violations recorded by either side during the six-day period. “During the first day, there were no violations, and that continued throughout all these days,” Lubinets said. He added that a final meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the Russian side on Nov. 1 also confirmed that no violations had been recorded. Lubinets said the evacuation operation revealed three distinct groups among Oleshky residents: those who chose to remain in the occupied town, those who wanted to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory, and those who opted to leave for Russian-controlled territory. Other Topics of Interest Sybiha: Oleshky Success Proves War Can Be Stopped Everywhere Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the Oleshky rescue serves as a confidence-building measure showing that the war can be stopped everywhere permanently. “I was there, I spoke with them, and it was their decision to stay,” Lubinets said, referring to the first group. Ukraine delivered a large quantity of humanitarian supplies to residents who remained, he added. The second group consisted of civilians who wanted to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory. They were brought back to Ukraine on Oct. 31, following an evacuation operation that began on Oct. 30. The third group chose to travel to Russian-controlled territory, with some wanting to reunite with relatives, Lubinets said. Evacuation numbers remain undisclosed Lubinets said neither Ukraine nor Russia was permitted under the arrangements to publicly disclose how many people had chosen to travel to each side. “We are not publishing figures on how many chose to leave for Ukrainian territory and how many decided to go to Russia. I ask everyone to treat this with respect,” he said. The operation also enabled the evacuation of 105 pets, including four parrots, Lubinets said. He described the Oleshky operation as a potential model for securing the return of civilians from other Russian-occupied communities where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated. However, Lubinets acknowledged that coordination efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian civilians remain insufficient. His office will establish a dedicated Center for the Return of Ukrainian Civilians to improve coordination of these efforts, he said. Ukraine seeks monthly humanitarian deliveries Ukraine is negotiating with Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova on delivering humanitarian assistance to Oleshky at least once a month, Lubinets said. The discussions aim to preserve the cooperation mechanism established during the evacuation operation and ensure that residents who remain in the occupied town continue receiving assistance. Ukraine initiated the search for a format that would allow civilians to be rescued from Oleshky, Lubinets said. He expressed hope that the mechanism could eventually be applied to other occupied settlements facing similar humanitarian emergencies. Lubinets rejects claims Russia used truce to regroup Lubinets also disputed reports that Russian forces used the ceasefire to move military equipment and reinforce their positions, addressing footage published by Sky News that appeared to show Russian military movements during the truce. He said he reviewed the footage after it emerged and discussed the matter with military officials. According to Lubinets, the vehicles visible in the video were involved in mine clearance, an activity explicitly permitted under the agreement. “The military equipment was moving for demining, as stipulated in the agreement. It was marked with red crosses and returned immediately after the demining work was completed,” he said. Lubinets stressed that the agreement explicitly prohibited either side from moving additional military equipment into the area. “We specifically stipulated in the document that the movement of military equipment was prohibited,” he said. He also described the monitoring arrangements established to ensure both sides observed the ceasefire. Ukraine and Russia each appointed one representative to oversee compliance. The four officials involved remained in contact during the first hour of the truce and agreed to check compliance every two hours thereafter. “During the first day, no violations were recorded, and that continued throughout all the following days,” Lubinets said. “We verified that there had been no violations by either side,” he said. How the Oleshky truce was agreed The evacuation operation followed months of negotiations, after an earlier agreement to evacuate civilians from Oleshky fell through. By Oct. 19, Ukraine and Russia were nearing a new deal to evacuate residents from Oleshky and six surrounding settlements, where thousands of civilians faced worsening shortages of food and medicine. The sides agreed on a ceasefire timetable on Oct. 25, with the truce set to begin at 3 a.m. Kyiv time on Oct. 27. The evacuation and humanitarian operation began on Oct. 30, with civilians leaving for both Ukrainian- and Russian-controlled territory as aid deliveries got underway. The ceasefire expired at 10:59 p.m. Kyiv time on Nov. 1. On Monday, Melania Trump said nearly 800 people had been evacuated from the area. Alisa is the Head of News and a correspondent at Kyiv Post, where she leads the newsroom’s coverage of breaking events and global developments. With over seven years of experience in TV journalism, Alisa has reported on international and Ukrainian politics, making complex stories easier to understand. Back in September 2022, Alisa joined the Kyiv Post team. Kateryna ZakharchenkoKateryna investigates today's most important topics, from geopolitical challenges and defense strategies to stories that change the course of events. She explores the secrets of Ukraine's intelligence services and shows the hidden side of global events. Her passion is uncovering secrets that change history. Born and lives in Kyiv.