Ukraine and Russia negotiating final details of evacuation from occupied Oleshky, Ukrainian official says
Ukraine and Russia are working out the last details of an evacuation of civilians from the occupied Oleshky community and six surrounding settlements to Ukrainian government-controlled territory, Ukraine's Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said on the Espresso TV channel. He said the Russian side has taken into consideration all of Ukraine's earlier proposals and that negotiations are being held daily, though difficult issues remain.
Key points
- Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Espresso TV that Ukraine and Russia are finalising the details of evacuating civilians from the occupied Oleshky community and six surrounding settlements.
- According to Lubinets, the Russian side has taken into consideration all the proposals Ukraine previously put forward, and talks are being held daily, though difficult issues remain.
- Ukraine estimates that up to 6,000 civilians, including up to 200 children, may still be in the Oleshky community and surrounding area, with up to 2,000 people possibly remaining in Oleshky itself.
- On 16 October, Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin and asked him to organise a ceasefire to allow aid delivery and civilian evacuation from occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast.
- During the night of 4 October, Ukrainian National Guard troops carried out a second drone-based delivery of nearly 4 tonnes of humanitarian aid to occupied Oleshky.
- On 19 September, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations said the town is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.
- Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and sits near the front line; food supplies were last delivered at the end of May and residents have been prevented from leaving by Russian forces.
Why it matters
If agreed, the evacuation would end a months-long humanitarian crisis in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, where up to around 6,000 civilians, including up to 200 children, are believed to remain. The negotiations carry weight beyond Oleshky: an agreed evacuation would require a ceasefire regime covering the town and six nearby settlements simultaneously, and the talks have drawn in Pope Leo XIV, who directly asked Vladimir Putin by phone to allow the operation. Ukraine has already resorted to drone-based aid deliveries, underlining the urgency and the limits of what can be done without Russian consent.
What happened
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, said on the Espresso TV channel that Ukraine and Russia are at the stage of agreeing the final details of an evacuation of civilians from the occupied Oleshky community in Kherson Oblast and six surrounding settlements to territory controlled by the Ukrainian government. According to Lubinets, the Russian side has taken into consideration all the proposals Ukraine previously put forward on the evacuation, and negotiations between the two sides are being held daily. He said Ukraine has "advanced as far as possible" in the talks but that difficult issues remain, and expressed hope that concrete results would be visible soon. Ukrainian estimates put the number of civilians who may still be in the Oleshky community and surrounding area at up to 6,000, including up to 200 children, with up to 2,000 people possibly remaining in Oleshky itself.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All six supplied sources are Ukrainian, and they centre the official Ukrainian narrative through Lubinets's statements on Espresso TV. Ukrainian outlets frame the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe caused by Russian occupation and a blockade, emphasising civilian suffering and Russian obstructions such as mined roads and drone strikes on evacuees. The coverage highlights Ukraine's own relief efforts, including two drone-based humanitarian deliveries by the National Guard, and Ukraine's diplomatic push, including Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha's calls for international involvement and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's characterisation of events in Oleshky as genocide. The framing portrays Ukraine as having "advanced as far as possible" in the negotiations while responsibility for delays and unresolved questions is placed on the Russian side.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on how many civilians remain in Oleshky itself: estimates tied to the Ukrainian side and to Lubinets put the figure at up to roughly 2,000, while Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on 17 October that around 1,700 people remain blocked in the city. There is also disagreement on the timing of the last food delivery to occupied Oleshky: some Ukrainian reporting states it occurred at the end of May 2026, while other accounts give only "the end of May" without specifying the year.
Background
Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and sits near the front line in a grey zone. Religious leaders in Ukraine declared on 19 September that the town is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, and on 1 October the OSCE considered the situation at its meeting. Food supplies to the occupied town were last delivered at the end of May, and Russian forces have prevented residents from leaving. On 16 September, German newspaper Bild wrote that Oleshky is under a humanitarian blockade. The Ukrainian National Guard has twice used drones to deliver humanitarian aid, including nearly 4 tonnes of cargo during the night of 4 October. Earlier, on 16 September, Lubinets said Russia had for a long time not confirmed readiness to conduct an evacuation mission.