A humanitarian truce intended to allow civilians to evacuate from the besieged town of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region is unlikely to enable safe passage directly into Kyiv-controlled areas, according to Ukrainian officials. The temporary ceasefire, which was brokered by former U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, began on Tuesday and is scheduled to remain in effect until Sunday at 11 p.m.
Oleshky has been under severe duress amid ongoing Russian military actions, with up to 2,000 residents—including many children—trapped amid active minefields and ongoing drone attacks. Local sources report dire conditions, including the depletion of food supplies, lack of electricity and potable water, and the presence of unburied bodies on the streets due to Russian forces reportedly refusing to permit burials.
Oleksandr Tolkonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson regional state administration, which operates from exile, warned that Moscow intends to manipulate the evacuation for propaganda purposes. According to Tolkonnikov, Russian forces will prevent residents from traveling directly to areas controlled by Ukraine and instead will funnel them either toward Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, or into Russian territory itself. He suggested that only a limited number of evacuees will be allowed to proceed to Ukraine or Europe.
“Either nobody will be allowed to leave, or only a very small number of people will actually make it to Ukraine or Europe,” Tolkonnikov said. He added that Russian authorities aim to pressure civilians to remain in occupied zones or within Russia, using the situation to create an image that residents are content under Russian control.
The situation underscores the ongoing humanitarian challenges in the region, where ceasfire agreements have been repeatedly undermined by military hostilities and restrictions on civilian movements. Ukrainian officials continue to press for safe passage of civilians and full access for humanitarian aid amid the intense conflict in southern Ukraine.