Residents leave devastated Russian-occupied Oleshky as evacuation corridor opens

What the report says

Evacuation is under way from Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s Kherson region, after a temporary ceasefire opened a safe corridor for residents who want to leave. According to BBC World News, the pause in fighting has allowed Russian sappers to clear the road, while Ukrainian and Russian officials have coordinated the operation.

The BBC said people have a four-hour window to depart, with a convoy of 25 buses expected to carry up to 750 evacuees, plus ambulances for those with limited mobility. Several hundred residents are understood to have chosen to stay despite severe damage in the town and shortages of gas, electricity and running water. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said anyone who wanted to leave would be able to do so safely, while those remaining would receive humanitarian help.

The route for evacuees is indirect: they are expected to travel first through Russian-controlled territory, then onward to Anapa in southern Russia, before flying to Gomel in Belarus and crossing back into Ukraine’s Chernihiv region. The BBC reported that Lubinets and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, visited Oleshky together to help organize the process.

The article adds that the ceasefire, reported to run through Sunday, is the first period of relative calm in the area since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. It also highlights the hardship facing civilians who remain, including accounts of persistent danger from mines and the difficulty of leaving behind pets or family members.