Hundreds evacuated from Ukrainian town of Oleshky during rare ceasefire

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky on Friday, October 30, according to the BBC, France 24, and Euronews. The evacuations took place during a local humanitarian ceasefire that entered its fourth day on Friday, Euronews reported. The White House, the BBC, and Euronews confirmed that United States First Lady Melania Trump helped negotiate the truce. [1][2][3][4][5][6][8][11]

Residents had a four-hour window to leave the town, the BBC reported. A convoy of 25 buses and several ambulances arrived in Oleshky on Friday morning bringing food and medicine, Euronews stated. Senior official and negotiator David Arakhamia said that evacuated residents set off for the Russian city of Anapa alongside a Ukrainian delegation, as reported by France 24 and Euronews. They are scheduled to fly to Belarus before returning to Ukrainian-controlled territory by bus. [1][2][3][4]

Oleshky is located on the left bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson Oblast region of southern Ukraine. Russian forces captured the town in 2022. Some residents chose to stay in the town despite severe shortages of food, medicine, power, and water, according to the BBC and France 24. [1][2][5][12]

The relief effort is a rare joint operation between opposing sides in the conflict, France 24 reported. Earlier this month, Pope Leo XIV requested a humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as FTMQ World reported earlier. [6][13]