In brief
Ukraine’s military evacuated 167 civilians—including children and people with limited mobility—from parts of the Kherson region days before a six‑day ceasefire in Oleshky was set to expire. The truce, brokered with the help of U.S. first‑lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, had allowed residents to move freely and receive humanitarian aid. Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the evacuation, while Kherson governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to remain cautious near the Dnipro River.
On Sunday, Ukrainian troops rescued 167 civilians from areas in the southern Kherson region that were feared to be exposed to a renewed fighting once a six‑day ceasefire in the town of Oleshky reached its end. The move was timed to precede midnight Moscow time, when the local truce was scheduled to expire.
According to a statement released to Telegram by the Ukrainian General Staff, a civil‑military cooperation group from the ‘South’ forces, working with local authorities, carried out the evacuation. Among those taken to safer points were 22 children and 21 people who required special assistance because of limited mobility.
The brief pause in hostilities in Oleshky was brokered after mediation efforts involving U.S. first‑lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. Officials said the agreement had been the longest truce since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and it had allowed residents of the town to move, access food, clean water, medicine, and to experience a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack.
"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," Melania Trump wrote on X.
Kherson region governor Oleksandr Prokudin warned that, as the ceasefire neared its end, residents should stay vigilant and avoid venturing into “red zones” close to the Dnipro River, where Russian strikes remain intense. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian side had a positive view of how the evacuation was carried out in Oleshky, as well as of coordination between the human rights commissioners of the two countries.
After the ceasefire was signed, families from Oleshky carried out a long and complicated escape route. Residents were transported by bus to Crimea, flew to Belarus, and then continued onto Ukrainian territory. Early on the evacuation, only 25 buses and nine ambulances were available before the convoys split into separate groups, the soldiers reported.
Since Tuesday, the ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding area has reportedly held without violations, allowing Russian and Ukrainian officials to work on de‑mining roads and delivering food, medicine, and other supplies into the town. The appointment of a joint humanitarian corridor has been a key element of the truce, according to both sides.
Military action in other parts of Ukraine continued on Sunday, as Ukrainian forces held control over several areas, while Russian troops maintained a foothold around Oleshky. The evacuation of civilians from Kherson region therefore came amid a broader context of ongoing conflict in the country.
