Residents evacuated from occupied Oleshky receive comprehensive assistance
Residents evacuated from temporarily occupied Oleshky during a humanitarian operation are receiving financial aid, documentation, medical and psychological care, rehabilitation, temporary housing and support for animals. The evacuation followed a local ceasefire that lasted from 27 October to 1 November, and the Ukrainian delegation returned to government-controlled territory on 31 October.
Key points
- A local ceasefire in and around occupied Oleshky in Kherson region lasted from 03:00 on 27 October to 22:59 Kyiv time on 1 November.
- Four aircraft carrying residents who agreed to evacuate reached Gomel Airport in Belarus on the morning of 31 October.
- The evacuation plan provided 25 buses with 750 seats in total and ambulances for people with limited mobility.
- A humanitarian convoy was formed and routes cleared of mines during the first two days of the ceasefire.
- The Ukrainian delegation led by Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory on 31 October.
- All returning residents received internal displacement certificates and applied for housing assistance through the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
- Evacuees receive financial aid, full medical examinations, psychological support, three meals a day and help with individual needs such as glasses, dental care, mobility aids and rehabilitation.
Why it matters
The assistance addressed urgent financial, administrative, medical, psychological, housing and mobility needs created by the evacuation. It also supported vulnerable groups, including children, people with limited mobility and residents requiring rehabilitation or specialised care. Arrangements for animals, family reunification and temporary accommodation reduced practical obstacles to relocation.
What happened
A local ceasefire in and around temporarily occupied Oleshky in Kherson region was in effect from 03:00 on 27 October until 22:59 Kyiv time on 1 November, allowing a humanitarian operation to proceed. Within the first two days, routes were cleared of mines and a humanitarian convoy was formed. Twenty-five buses with a combined capacity of 750 seats and ambulances for people with limited mobility were assigned to the evacuation. Four aircraft carrying residents who agreed to leave arrived at Gomel Airport in Belarus on the morning of 31 October; they were transferred to buses that travelled to the Ukrainian border. The residents crossed into Ukraine in Chernihiv region after 15:00 on 31 October, and the Ukrainian delegation returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory the same day.
The returning residents received internal displacement certificates issued by the Kyiv Administrative Services Centre and applied for housing assistance through the Pension Fund of Ukraine. They were provided with mobile phones and SIM cards, power banks, clothing, footwear, hygiene items, travel kits and bags, as well as PrivatBank cards, financial assistance and additional cash aid from charitable organisations. Assistance included restoring passports, tax numbers, pension certificates and pension payments. Everyone received three meals a day, a full medical examination and referral to specialised medical facilities when needed, along with psychological support. Individual needs were assessed, including assistance with glasses, dental care, mobility aids, care and rehabilitation; families with children were scheduled for additional rehabilitation. Those with relatives were given opportunities to reunite with them, while temporary accommodation was arranged for people with nowhere to return. Animals brought by evacuees were placed in temporary care and were to be returned to their owners. Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets tasked his representative Olha Altunina with accompanying the evacuees and monitoring the process daily.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasises the coordinated response of state institutions, human-rights authorities, medical services and charitable organisations. The coverage gives detailed attention to restoring administrative documents, arranging social and pension payments, conducting individual assessments, providing rehabilitation and temporary housing, and maintaining continued accompaniment. Officials are presented as actively monitoring the assistance process and organising services for residents’ practical and individual needs.
How international sources describe it
Le Monde presented the mission in Oleshky as one of the very rare examples of successful cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The outlet also reported that Ukraine delivered substantial humanitarian aid to Oleshky’s residents, that around 750 people were evacuated from a city where about 2,000 others remained, and that a quarter of those who left chose to go to Russia while three quarters headed to Ukraine.
Background
The ceasefire for the humanitarian operation in and around temporarily occupied Oleshky ran from 03:00 on 27 October until 22:59 Kyiv time on 1 November. During its first two days, routes were cleared of mines and a humanitarian convoy was formed. The evacuation plan provided 25 buses with a total capacity of 750 seats, along with ambulances for groups with limited mobility. Four aircraft carrying residents who agreed to evacuate reached Gomel Airport in Belarus on the morning of 31 October, and the delegation returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory the same day.