Oleshky: Ukrainian and Russian ombudspersons arrive in occupied city as civilian evacuation begins

A humanitarian mission led by Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova has arrived in Oleshky, a town in the Kherson region of Ukraine that is occupied by the Russian army. On the morning of October 30, representatives of both countries reported that the evacuation of civilians had begun and that humanitarian aid was being handed out in the city. The city is in a humanitarian crisis, but the two sides have stopped firing there for several days, and the temporary ceasefire is what allows civilians to be evacuated.

A first at this level

It is the first time a Ukrainian official of such high rank has visited territory occupied by Russia. Lubinets and Lantratova entered the city alongside delegations from Kyiv and Moscow.

Journalists on the ground

Journalists were also able to enter Oleshky with the delegations. They include the well-known Ukrainian photographer Evgeniy Maloletka. The first images from the city have now been published, showing everyday life in a place where fighting has paused for several days.

The source does not say how many people have been evacuated, how long the ceasefire is meant to last or what its terms are. Those questions remain open, and further information will have to come from the two sides.