Ukraine Working on Second Evacuation From Russian-Occupied Oleshky, Ombudsman Says

Ukraine is preparing a second evacuation of civilians from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, Ukraine’s Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) Dmytro Lubinets said on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The first mission – the largest such humanitarian operation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 – concluded on Nov. 1 with the end of a six-day local ceasefire.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Having seen that the evacuation was carried out safely, more residents of Oleshky and nearby villages have since contacted Lubinets’ office asking to leave for government-controlled territory, Lubinets wrote in a statement. A second operation would first require agreement on humanitarian and security conditions, Lubinets noted, adding that those who have applied will be informed as soon as a safe mechanism is in place. Vulnerable residents prioritized Lubinets’ office, he said, is updating information on every person who has asked to leave, including their location, health, mobility, family members, documents and any need for medical or specialized transport. Priority is currently being given to elderly residents, people with disabilities and limited mobility, those who are seriously ill and all families with children. “Our work is not over with the first humanitarian mission,” he said. How the first evacuation unfolded On Oct. 16, Pope Leo XIV held a telephone discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he expressed his deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Oleshky, urging the Russian president to agree to an immediate ceasefire and allow the delivery of food and medical assistance to the city. Other Topics of Interest I KNOW WHY: What will be discussed at the XI Conductors of Changes Forum in Kyiv Deloitte Ukraine’s XI Conductors of Changes Forum, themed I KNOW WHY, gathers business, government and culture leaders in Kyiv on Nov. 19. The pontiff then spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct. 19, reiterating his earlier request for a humanitarian ceasefire. “We are working to help our people there. We are preparing decisions,” Zelensky said at the time, confirming the conversation. On the same day, Lubinets announced that Kyiv and Moscow had begun daily contact over a possible evacuation. While he confirmed that the Russian side had taken up all proposals previously submitted by Ukraine, no timeline for the evacuation was provided. In a surprise announcement on Oct. 23, US First Lady Melania Trump said she had brokered a localized ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for Oct. 29. Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, initially announced that the truce would begin on Oct. 27, two days earlier than the date previously agreed with the White House. Neither Kyiv nor Washington explained the change at the time, prompting concerns about Moscow’s intentions given its record of breaking self-announced ceasefires. Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the same start time, and the ceasefire took effect at 3 a.m. Kyiv time on Oct. 27. Both sides observed the ceasefire until it ended at 10:59 p.m. on Nov. 1. Although Lubinets said no ceasefire violations had been recorded, Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Andrii Melnyk told the UN Security Council on Nov. 9 – which Russia is a part of – that Moscow had used the ceasefire to rotate military personnel, bring in reinforcements and move military equipment into the area. 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.