167 Civilians Evacuated as Oleshky Truce Ends Amid Accusations of Military Buildup
Key Facts
Ukrainian forces evacuated 167 civilians to safer locations in the Kherson region as the Oleshky truce approached its end, Reuters reported on November 1, citing Ukraine’s General Staff. Those evacuated included 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility who needed special assistance. The truce ended at 21:00 GMT that day, after taking effect on October 27. The temporary pause allowed aid to enter the city and preparations for evacuating civilians through a designated safe corridor, according to a White House statement. Reuters described it as the longest local halt in fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The joint evacuation operation in Oleshky had ended on Saturday, before the truce expired on Sunday evening, the Associated Press reported. The agency estimated that about 2,000 civilians were in the city when the pause began, but said authorities had not published an exact count of those who left to protect the safety of those who remained. Neither side specified how many residents chose to leave, according to the agency, while Melania Trump said the convoy could safely evacuate more than 750 people. An aid convoy of 25 buses arrived in the city, along with ambulances, trucks and other vehicles carrying food and medicine. Residents were offered a choice of moving to areas controlled by Ukraine or Russia, or staying in the city with renewed food and medical supplies.
Accounts differed over what happened after the evacuation. Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, said fewer than 750 people remained in Oleshky and added that humanitarian aid would reach the city monthly. The Ukrainian side did not disclose how many people chose each destination or decided to stay. Reuters said some residents heading to Ukrainian-controlled territory traveled by bus through Crimea to the Russian city of Anapa, then by air to Belarus, and from there to Ukraine. Dmytro Lubinets did not disclose the exact number who returned to Ukraine, while other residents chose Russia or to remain in Oleshky despite the loss of gas, electricity and running water.
Ukraine’s General Staff, meanwhile, accused Russian forces of using the truce to rotate troops, reinforce defenses and improve logistical supplies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had no specific information about such movements, but described repositioning during a ceasefire as a "usual practice" and added that it was safe to assume Ukraine had done the same. The exchange of accusations puts the humanitarian arrangements to the test after the pause ended, following an agreement that had allowed aid to enter and preparations for the evacuation corridor. The White House said the two countries had appointed teams to coordinate the agreement’s details, including mine clearance, and that residents wishing to leave would receive coordinated transport to their chosen destination.
Oleshky faces harsh humanitarian conditions after years of war and flooding. The White House said about 24,000 people lived in the city before the war and that the current estimate ranged from 1,700 to 2,000 residents, including about 50 children, with no official demographic census conducted since 2022. The statement said about 90% of the city’s territory was flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. Pope Leo XIV, according to the Vatican, also urged Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin to allow aid deliveries and ensure the evacuation of civilians. While the halt in fighting was confined to Oleshky, the Associated Press said airstrikes continued elsewhere and that Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia continued targeting Ukraine’s energy systems ahead of winter.
As for the broader diplomatic track, the date for talks involving Ukrainian, Russian and U.S. delegations in Abu Dhabi during November had not been set as of October 28, according to the Associated Press. Zelenskyy said Washington was awaiting developments in the Middle East, and expressed hope that a possible date could be set between November 6 and 10, after the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November 3. The U.S. plan aimed to bring officials from Moscow and Kyiv back to technical talks the following month on ways to advance toward ending the war. But the agency said neither side had shown signs of abandoning its main demands. The talks therefore remained unscheduled, while the local truce ended without a final evacuation count.