Dozens of relatives gathered along a roadside in Oleshky to await the arrival of evacuation buses carrying residents fleeing the conflict in the Russian-occupied Kherson region. Among those hoping to reunite with family members was 19-year-old Liza Paliy, who had not seen her father in over two-and-a-half years. Ms. Paliy fled the area early in the conflict with her mother and sister while her father remained behind to protect their home, anticipating a brief absence that has since extended to more than two years.
Nearby, Daria Pavlyn anxiously awaited news of her father, Mykhailo, who has been out of contact for about a month. Her family had planned to evacuate together after an artillery strike killed neighbours, but her father stayed to care for property and animals. Ms. Pavlyn said that when the plan fell through, her father escorted them to the evacuation point but did not join them, fearful of attempting the journey alone without Russian occupation documents. Whether either father was among the evacuees remained unclear, as the convoys arrived under tight security with details withheld by Ukrainian authorities.
Kyiv imposed strict reporting restrictions on the evacuation operation, including the number of people evacuated and the exact border crossing used. Officials explained that the secrecy was necessary to protect those who remained in Oleshky and to maintain the security of future humanitarian corridors. Ukrainian authorities estimated that the operation aimed to evacuate more than 750 people, though the number who had returned was not confirmed.
The evacuation came as an emergency measure for Oleshky, a frontline town on the east bank of the Dnipro River under Russian control, opposite Ukrainian-held Kherson. The town has been subjected to intense shelling and drone surveillance, with commercial supply lines severed since May. Officials estimate that only 1,700 to 2,000 residents remain from a pre-war population of roughly 24,000, most of them elderly or bedridden.
The localized truce facilitating the evacuation took effect at 3 a.m. Tuesday and was set to continue through the evening. Residents who stayed behind were given options to relocate to Russia, return to Ukrainian-controlled areas, or remain in Oleshky with restocked food and medical supplies. Direct crossings of the heavily fortified Dnipro River remain impossible due to ongoing combat, and civilians traveling to Ukrainian territory faced a lengthy, circuitous route spanning thousands of kilometers. Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, accompanied the groups during transit and expressed optimism about their safe return.
Some residents chose relocation to Russia, while others opted to stay in Oleshky despite lacking gas, electricity, and running water. Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova acknowledged the difficult living conditions and said she would continue coordination with her Ukrainian counterpart to assist those remaining. She stated the mission had concluded but highlighted plans for regular humanitarian operations moving forward.
The evacuation unfolded amid ongoing hostilities elsewhere in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russian drone strikes overnight targeted critical energy and railway infrastructure, underscoring the continuing violence in the region.