Kherson evacuation: 167 civilians move out as Oleshky truce expires
Ukrainian forces extracted residents from the Dnipro riverbank zone just hours before the six-day pause in fighting was scheduled to end at midnight Moscow time.
By Yasmin Nasser ·
Ukraine’s military reported the evacuation of 167 people from threatened areas in the southern Kherson region on Sunday, a move completed just before a temporary local ceasefire was set to lapse. The extraction took place two days after a complex convoy operation brought residents out of the Russian-held town of Oleshky, which sits on the Dnipro River directly opposite the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson.
The six-day pause in fighting was the longest local cessation of hostilities since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. It was secured through mediation led by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, with the involvement of Pope Leo. The agreement allowed for the movement of people and the delivery of supplies, but it faced a strict deadline of midnight Moscow time, or 2100 GMT on Sunday.
According to a post on Telegram by the Ukrainian General Staff, units from the ‘South’ group of forces worked with local authorities to move the civilians to safer locations. The group included 22 children and 21 individuals with limited mobility who required special assistance. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin warned residents to stay alert as the deadline approached, specifically advising them to avoid the ‘red zones’ near the Dnipro where Russian strikes remained frequent.
“The intensity of Russian strikes there remains high, and the threat to life is extremely high,” Prokudin wrote in a message to the public. He urged vigilance as the military presence in the area remained tense.
The evacuation effort in Oleshky had involved a complex logistical route. Residents traveled by bus from the front line through Russian-annexed Crimea to the town of Anapa. From there, they flew to Belarus before crossing into Ukrainian territory. Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova stated that 25 buses and nine ambulances were used to transport those wishing to leave the town. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that Moscow viewed the operation positively, citing effective coordination between the two countries’ human rights commissioners.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials reported that the ceasefire had held without violations since Tuesday. This pause allowed teams to clear mines from roads and bring in food, medicine, and other essential supplies. Melania Trump posted on X that the truce gave residents freedom of movement and access to clean water and medicine, restoring a sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack.
While the truce expired on Sunday, military action continued in other parts of Ukraine. Regional governors and emergency services confirmed one death in a strike in the Sumy region near the Russian border and at least one in the central Vinnytsia region. It was not immediately clear how many residents had chosen to remain in the Russian-held Oleshky town.
