Rare truce holds as first residents leave Russian-occupied Oleshky
Under a U.S.-brokered local ceasefire, buses and aid have reached the Ukrainian town on the Dnipro. Evacuees face a long detour through Russia and Belarus.
Archive image · Photo: :Dima / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The first residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine's southern Kherson region left their homes on Friday under a localized ceasefire. A convoy of 25 buses and several ambulances brought food and medicine into the town, Euronews reported, citing AP. Those wishing to leave had until 2 p.m. local time, after which aid distribution was due to begin. It was not known how many people left. Russia and Ukraine said in separate, identical statements: "Everyone who wishes to leave Oleshky will have the opportunity to do so safely."
The Ukrainian-held bank of the Dnipro is only a few kilometers away, but evacuees must travel hundreds of kilometers through Russia and Belarus. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said the group first set off for the Russian city of Anapa, from where it is to fly to Belarus and return to Ukraine by bus. Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova, however, spoke of a convoy heading to Russian territory. Residents fear interrogations and screening during the journey, according to RFE/RL.
The truce took effect on Tuesday and is due to last until Sunday evening; RFE/RL said no violations had been reported so far. The White House says first lady Melania Trump brokered it, while the Vatican points to the pope's phone calls with Putin and Zelenskyy. Of a prewar population of about 24,000, roughly 2,000 people, mostly elderly, remain in the town without electricity, heating or running water. Fighting continued elsewhere: Russia said it intercepted more than 1,000 drones, and Ukraine reported Russian missile and drone strikes.