Kherson and Oleshky Evacuation Under Temporary Ceasefire
Busloads of evacuated residents from Oleshky arrived in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region on Saturday, October 31, following a temporary ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the arrival of the evacuees, who had spent months enduring severe hardship under Russian occupation on the left bank of the Dnipro River. The evacuation corridors opened as a temporary halt in fighting allowed residents in the frontline city of Kherson to briefly walk the streets and check on damaged homes. Civil evacuees from Oleshky traveled by bus on Friday initially toward Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, and from there Russian air force planes flew them to Gomel in Belarus. Civil-evacuation efforts from Oleshky, where individuals faced exceptionally difficult conditions in recent months, materialized after Russia and Ukraine reached a ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States. Not all residents chose to leave the danger zone, as many decided to remain despite facing deadly peril, and evacuees had the option to evacuate toward either Ukrainian-controlled or Russian-controlled territory.
The Journey of Evacuees from Oleshky to Ukraine
The path to safety for the residents of Oleshky required a complex logistical route mandated by Moscow. Evacuated citizens initially traveled by bus from the occupied town to Anapa in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai. From there, Russian air force planes transported them to Gomel in Belarus, where a specially established camp provided humanitarian assistance before they crossed the border into the Chernihiv region. Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that all arrivals would receive necessary support to rebuild their lives in free territory, while also expressing hope that the experience from Oleshky would establish a foundation for a new mechanism responding to complex humanitarian crises. “Autobusā mēs visi klusi dziedājām Ukrainas valsts himnu,” an evacuee told LSM, describing how the group quietly sang the national anthem during the journey because they were accustomed to absolute silence while living under occupation.
Kherson Streets Bear Scars of FPV Drones and Artillery
In Kherson, the temporary ceasefire offered a rare opportunity for remaining residents to venture outdoors, heading out to inspect their former workplaces such as the city archive, which was completely destroyed. Life on Kherson’s main pedestrian street once buzzed with activity before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the area is now overgrown, with buildings burned and bombed out. Kherson was the first city where Russian forces deployed FPV drones against civilians, prompting the creation of anti-drone net corridors across urban spaces. While official figures place the remaining population at approximately 65,000, few people are visible on the streets due to persistent aerial surveillance. Andriy, a soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces who experienced the occupation, noted that drones, artillery, and rockets target every corner of the city, warning that moving around requires extreme caution because mines are difficult to spot and no area in Kherson is entirely safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were evacuated from Oleshky?
Authorities prepared 25 buses designed to extract up to 750 civilians from Oleshky, where an estimated 1,500 residents—mostly elderly individuals—had remained.
What route did the evacuees take to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory?
Evacuees traveled by bus to Anapa in Russia, flew via Russian aircraft to Gomel in Belarus, and finally crossed the border into Ukraine’s Chernihiv region.
When did the ceasefire take effect in the region?
The localized ceasefire agreement allowing for the evacuation and movement in Oleshky began on Tuesday and was scheduled to last until late evening on November 1.
Keep reading