Image copyrightReuters
Russian and Ukrainian authorities have announced that hundreds of residents have been evacuated from Oreshki in southeastern Ukraine, which has been devastated by Russian occupation, following a humanitarian cease-fire agreement. The cease-fire agreement was said to have been brokered by US first lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV. ``Everything went smoothly without incident and both sides were impressed by the excellent and well-organized response,'' Yana Lantratova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, said.
Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that the evacuees are heading to southern Russia, from where they will travel through Belarus to Ukraine.
Melania Trump said that "all elements of the convoy, including safe routes into and out of Oreshki, were established by mutual agreement between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders."
Lantrava told reporters on the night of the 30th that he and his Ukrainian counterpart had jointly requested that the first lady of the United States...under the coordination of Melania Trump, carry out regular humanitarian aid operations like this, delivering aid to people in need.
The longest and most extensive ceasefire since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has been in effect across the frontline of the fighting, Kherson Oblast, since the 27th. This enabled the demining of the evacuation route from Oreshki.
Residents wishing to evacuate were given a four-hour grace period on the 30th. A convoy of 25 buses was arranged to allow up to 750 people to leave the town by 2pm. Ambulances were provided for those who had difficulty getting around.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people appear to have decided to stay in the severely damaged town of Oreshki, despite the fact that gas, electricity and water supplies have been cut off.
"Everyone who wants to leave Oreshki will be able to do so safely," Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Rubinets said on the morning of the 30th. "At the same time, those who choose to stay will be able to do so and will receive all the humanitarian assistance they need to do so."
The Ukrainian military position is approximately 5 kilometers from Oreshki. Evacuated residents must first enter Russian-occupied territory and then head to the southern Russian city of Anapa.
Residents wishing to return to Ukraine will also take a Russian government plane to Gomel, Belarus, from where they will cross the border by car into Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast.
Others are expected to choose to remain in Russian-occupied territories.
Image copyrightKyrylo Budanov/Telegram
On the 30th, Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman Rubinets and his Russian counterpart Lantrava departed from Armiansk in the Russian-occupied Crimea Peninsula and headed to Oreshki.
Rubinets is the first Ukrainian official to visit Russian-occupied territory since the start of the war. He will also be accompanying evacuees returning to Ukraine on the 31st, making him the first Ukrainian official to visit Russia since the start of the war.
The Oreshki ceasefire required close cooperation between Mr. Rubinets and Mr. Lantrava. Rubinetz said he cooperated to save lives.
But some Ukrainians were disgusted by the sight of Rubinets standing next to representatives of the Russian occupation forces that killed many of the Oreshki residents and made life intolerable for those who remained.
Rubinets and Lantrava each posted videos shot at Oreshki on their social media. The evacuees were divided into two groups, depending on whether they were going to Russian-controlled areas or returning to Ukraine.
In one video, Rubinetz is seen meeting with tearful local residents.
"The problem is that a lot of people decided to stay here," Rubinets said in the video. "I heard that it was their choice. We will do everything we can to make sure humanitarian aid arrives."
Russia announced on the 29th that it had prepared "dozens of tons" of relief supplies, including food, medicine, hygiene products and fuel for generators, for residents who did not wish to evacuate.
One resident told the BBC why they did not evacuate: ``I can't leave with my pet, so I have no choice.''
Olena, who lives in the capital Kiv, told the BBC that her grandmother and other relatives who live in Oleshki decided to stay behind.
"The older generation doesn't want to leave their hometown," she says, "and the only reason I had to convince my father was that I had just recently given birth to a baby. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to meet my baby."
Olena's grandmother's sister died in Oreshki last winter.
"She stepped on a landmine and lost her legs, covered in snow...The people around her put her in a garden wheelbarrow and took her to the hospital," Olena said.
"In Oreshki, locals always use garden wheelbarrows to transport injured and deceased people to hospitals and hospital morgues."
The ceasefire is scheduled to last until November 1st. This marked the first few days of peace in Kherson Oblast since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Residents of Kherson told the BBC they were "overjoyed" with the ceasefire agreement. But they also worry that the ceasefire has given Russia time to build up its military presence along the Dnipro River and that it could be attacked again once the ceasefire expires.
On the 30th, the Russian Presidential Administration (Kremlin) stated that the success of the Oreshki ceasefire does not mean that it will be extended to all of Ukraine.
A small number of foreign journalists were invited to cover the evacuation situation. Russia is expected to emphasize this as a benevolent humanitarian aid operation to protect the population.
Many Ukrainians suspect Russia's real purpose is to improve its reputation with the White House and give U.S. President Donald Trump a boost ahead of next week's midterm elections.
(English article: Hundreds evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky during rare Ukraine ceasefire)
