Oleshky evacuation: Crossings resume under six-day pause

Residents of Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-held land on Saturday, concluding a multi-day transit that moved people through Russian and Belarusian soil. The movement occurred under a localized ceasefire in the Kherson region that began at 3 a.m. Tuesday and is scheduled to hold until Sunday evening.

Ukrainian authorities restricted public details regarding the specific border crossing point and the total headcount of evacuees. Organizers stated these measures aimed to protect residents who elected to stay in Oleshky and to secure the safety of future humanitarian missions.

The operation began on Friday when bus convoys departed the war-ravaged city. An estimated 2,000 residents remained in Oleshky at the start of the mission. Each individual chose to travel to Ukrainian-held territory, move to Russian-held ground, or remain in the city with replenished food and medical supplies.

Russian defense officials reported that those heading toward Ukraine were transported to Anapa and then flown to Homel in Belarus. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s commissioner for human rights, accompanied the group. He posted a video from Homel airport stating, "We will be home soon!"

Ukrainian lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia confirmed that four planes carrying evacuees had landed in Belarus. He predicted the passengers would reach Ukrainian territory within hours of their arrival.

Relatives gathered at the Ukraine-Belarus border on Saturday to await reunions. Aid tents, coffee stands, and provisions for pets were set up for the arrivals. Volunteers from the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, and World Central Kitchen assisted at the scene. Liza Paliy, 19, waited to see her father, whom she had not seen in more than two years. Daria Pavlyn also waited for her father, Mykhailo, who had stayed behind in Oleshky to care for their home and animals after a nearby strike killed two neighbors.

Melania Trump and Pope Leo had urged leaders to allow the aid deliveries and evacuations. The White House noted that the first lady helped broker the ceasefire. Russian media showed civilians arriving in Simferopol, Crimea, on Friday. Those individuals had chosen to live in Russian territory. Russian ombudsperson Yana Lantratova confirmed that buses also transported residents opting for Russia.

The U.S. State Department announced Friday that it approved a $2.1 billion sale of Patriot air defense interceptors for Ukraine. The purchase of 500 missiles will be funded by donations from Canada, Germany, and Norway. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the approval but urged partners to supply weapons from existing stocks to protect the country this winter. He noted that the new sale could take years to deliver. Zelenskyy reported that 280,000 households in the Dnipro and Kyiv regions lost power overnight due to Russian strikes on energy and railway infrastructure.