In brief
In the final days of a six‑day ceasefire brokered with the help of Melania Trump and Pope Leo, Ukraine evacuated 167 civilians, including 22 children, from the contested city of Oleshky. The truce, which had seen no violations, was praised by Russian officials and the Pope, while Ukrainian authorities urged residents to remain alert as the ceasefire expires.
On Sunday, Ukrainian forces evacuated 167 civilians, including 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility, from threatened sections of the southern Kherson region as a six‑day ceasefire in Oleshky approached its expiry at midnight Moscow time. The evacuation, carried out by units of civil‑military cooperation of the “South” group of forces in coordination with local officials, moved residents to safer points within Kherson and was conducted as the truce, brokered with the assistance of U.S. first‑lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, held without any violations.
Ukrainian General Staff commander, speaking on the military’s Telegram channel, confirmed that the evacuees were transported to secure locations. The evacuees included individuals who required special care; 21 of the 167 were people with limited mobility who needed assistance during the transfer.
Governor Oleksandr Prokudin called on inhabitants of the region to remain vigilant as the ceasefire drew to a close, warning that nearby “red zones” close to the Dnipro River were still under risk of Russian strikes. He urged residents not to cross into these areas while the local truce expired.
In a statement from Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had a positive view of the evacuation arrangement in Oleshky, as well as of the coordinated effort between the two countries’ human‑rights commissioners. The statement noted that the ceasefire had been upheld on both sides and had allowed the de‑mining of roads and the delivery of food, medicine and other supplies to the town.
Melania Trump, assessing the situation on X, said the ceasefire “has provided residents with the freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack.” The former first lady echoed comments from Pope Leo, who said he hoped the cooperation between Russia and Ukraine in implementing the ceasefire would pave the way for broader peace efforts.
Oleshky, which had fallen under Russian control immediately after the February 2022 invasion, had been receiving a circuitous stream of evacuees: first by bus via Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa, then by flight to Belarus before continuing to Ukraine. Earlier on Saturday, exhausted residents of Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian territory following 25 buses and nine ambulances that initially took them to Crimea before detaching into separate convoys.
Since Tuesday, the ceasefire has reportedly held without violations, a position shared by both Ukrainian and Russian officials. The truce enabled the clearance of mines and the movement of humanitarian aid into the besieged town for the duration of the six‑day pause.
Despite the overall calm, the Kremlin spokesman stated that key elements of cooperation, such as the Ukrainian and Russian human‑rights commissioners working together, were “positive” on a broader scale. The diplomatic engagement was seen by Ukrainian sources as a possible stepping stone toward more extensive peace talks, although no concrete proposals had yet materialized.
While the ceasefire expires at midnight Moscow time, the Ukrainian military’s successful evacuation of 167 civilians demonstrates the ability to safeguard civilians even as frontline tensions persist. Recent images from the General Staff indicate that Ukrainian troops have reclaimed much of the region, including the town of Kherson, though Russian forces remain in Oleshky.
The situation remains fluid. The terms of the ceasefire and its potential extension have not been disclosed, and both Ukrainian and Russian authorities have announced that military operations continue in other parts of Ukraine. Whether the ceasefire will remain intact through midnight or whether hostilities will resume in Oleshky remains uncertain, as does the overall trajectory toward a broader ceasefire or peace agreement.
