Sybiha: Oleshky Success Proves War Can Be Stopped Everywhere

The verified success of the humanitarian operation in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky demonstrates that active hostilities can be halted and can serve as a vital confidence-building measure to advance a broader, permanent peace, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced on Sunday, Nov. 1. Writing on X, Sybiha confirmed that evacuated civilians had safely crossed the state frontier into Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, emphasizing that the operation represents hundreds of innocent lives preserved following months of severe deprivation.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Ukrainian citizens evacuated from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. This is about saved lives,” the foreign minister stated. “After months of hunger and isolation under Russian occupation, they are finally safe. Those who chose to stay must have unhindered humanitarian access.” Addressing the broader strategic implications of the localized armistice, the foreign minister stressed that the ability of both belligerents to honor a localized silence regime establishes a concrete operational precedent for ending the war. “Ukraine acted in good faith and kept its word. As I said in Helsinki, results in Oleshky can serve as a confidence-building measure and pave the way for further steps in the peace process,” Sybiha emphasized. “If hostilities can be stopped in one place, they can be stopped everywhere, and permanently. Ukraine is ready. We expect the same from Russia.” Other Topics of Interest ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 31, 2026 War in Ukraine - Latest update, key takeaways and map from the Institute for the Study of War on October 31, 2026. Gratitude to Melania Trump, Pope Leo XIV, and allied partners Sybiha expressed official gratitude to the international mediators and religious figures who helped broker the localized armistice and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Dnipro left-bank enclave. Sybiha commended US First Lady Melania Trump for her direct diplomatic mediation, which facilitated the synchronization of the localized ceasefire between Ukrainian and Russian negotiating teams. “We thank the American side and First Lady Melania Trump for their mediation,” Sybiha wrote. “For months, Ukraine raised the alarm about Oleshky, including at the UN Security Council. We urged partners, international organizations and religious leaders to act. Today, lives have been saved.” The foreign minister extended formal appreciation to Pope Leo XIV, who had previously conducted high-level appeals – including personal communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin – urging humanitarian corridors for trapped non-combatants. Sybiha also thanked international partner governments, foreign ministers, and Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets alongside his operational field team for executing the multi-stage mission under hazardous frontline conditions. The foreign minister reiterated that for the estimated 1,700 civilians who chose to remain in the occupied town, the international community must ensure continuous, unhindered humanitarian access and aid deliveries as winter approaches. Ukrainian citizens evacuated from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. This is about saved lives.After months of hunger and isolation under Russian occupation, they are finally safe. Those who chose to stay must have unhindered humanitarian access.… pic.twitter.com/djDxn19pns— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) October 31, 2026 Sybiha’s remarks follow the arrival of the evacuation convoys in Chernihiv region late on Saturday, Oct. 31, concluding an intricate multi-stage transit corridor that began inside occupied Kherson region. Under the negotiated framework, a humanitarian convoy of 25 buses and specialized ambulances entered Oleshky following de-mining operations around the municipal hospital. Trapped civilians – prioritizing the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and families with domestic animals – transited overland through Russian-occupied Crimea to the Russian Black Sea port of Anapa. From Anapa, four charter flights airlifted the evacuees to Gomel in Belarus, where the final aircraft touched down on Saturday afternoon before the group boarded cross-border coaches into northern Ukraine. At the Chernihiv reception point, Ukrainian authorities, medical detachments, psychologists, and volunteer organizations mobilized emergency warming shelters, hot food distribution, and specialized animal care depots for pets brought by the evacuees. The humanitarian mission was executed under a strict, localized 87-hour silence regime that took effect at 3:00 a.m. Kyiv time on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and was scheduled to remain in force until 10:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. Throughout the designated ceasefire window, Ukrainian and Russian armed forces adhered to commitments suspending drone interdictions, tactical aviation, artillery bombardments, and ground maneuvers across the Oleshky perimeter, recording zero kinetic violations. The compliance underscored statements delivered on Saturday by Melania Trump, who characterized the Oleshky mission as grounds for hope for a sustainable peace and proof that humanity can rise above war. President Volodymyr Zelensky also thanked the US First Lady, noting that American mediation enabled life-saving deliveries and civilian evacuations. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.