Ukraine Plans Civilian Return Center After Oleshky Mission

Ukraine will establish a dedicated center to help bring home civilians held by Russia or stranded in occupied territory, the country’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets announced on Monday, Nov. 2, saying the Oleshky humanitarian mission had exposed gaps in coordination.Speaking at a press conference on the operation, Lubinets said the Civilian Return Center would operate within his office and support people through their return and subsequent recovery.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“This is a center that relatives and loved ones of those who remain in temporarily occupied territory, or who have been detained by the Russian Federation, will be able to contact,” he said.Its planned responsibilities include developing expertise on organizing returns and providing social assistance, medical care and psychological rehabilitation.Oleshky mission exposes coordination gapsLubinets said his experience of the Oleshky operation, alongside his team and international partners, had prompted the decision to establish a separate structure.The mission showed insufficient coordination in Ukraine’s efforts to bring back both civilian detainees held in Russian prisons and people remaining in occupied areas, he said.The proposed center would draw on the experience of the Child Rights Protection Center, an existing pilot project within the ombudsman’s institution.Lubinets said he wanted to extend that model’s work on returns, support and advocacy to adult civilians, while drawing attention to Russian violations of their rights. Other Topics of Interest Russia’s Bigger Gerbera Drone Can Strike Beyond Ukraine Ukraine’s HUR identifies an armed Gerbera-2 found in Poland and reveals cameras designed to detect interceptor drones. The responsibilities he outlined cover contact with families, work to secure returns and help with the problems people face afterward, including medical and psychological needs.Humanitarian operation brings hundreds out of OleshkyThe announcement follows the completion of the humanitarian operation in Russian-occupied Oleshky, across the Dnipro River from Ukrainian-controlled Kherson.A localized ceasefire ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 to allow essential supplies into the city and enable residents to leave voluntarily.US First Lady Melania Trump, who helped mediate the arrangement, said nearly 800 people were evacuated during the mission.That figure did not distinguish between residents who traveled to Ukrainian-controlled territory and those who chose Russia. Ukrainian officials said evacuees heading to Ukraine traveled through Russia and Belarus before crossing into northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv region.The operation involved Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, following weeks of negotiations and preparations that included clearing mined routes.Residents had faced severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while mined roads and the proximity of fighting made leaving dangerous.Ukraine’s General Staff said humanitarian supplies reached their destination and people seeking to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory were able to do so. It also said Russian forces used the pause to rotate troops, fortify positions and bring in ammunition.Families need support beyond the journey homeRecent civilian returns illustrate the needs the proposed center would address.On Oct. 23, Lubinets reported the return of seven civilians through humanitarian arrangements with Russia and assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.They included a 90-year-old woman with limited mobility and a 50-year-old woman who had suffered a heart attack and stroke. Special transportation arrangements were made because of their health.A mother and child also returned after being unable to leave occupied Mariupol for a prolonged period due to issues obtaining the child’s documents.Earlier, Lubinets said 41 Ukrainians returned through the Mokrany-Domanove crossing on the Belarusian border during August and September, including four children and five teenagers.People assisted through his office and its partners have received help restoring documents, finding temporary accommodation, obtaining onward transport and accessing financial, social and psychological support.The new center would place those continuing needs alongside efforts to bring civilians home, under the plan Lubinets outlined. 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.