Civilians trapped in Russian-occupied Oleshky have no safe way out. Ukraine says it’s negotiating with Moscow to bring them directly to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Residents of the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, located in the Kherson region, have no safe means of escaping their dire situation, according to Ukraine’s parliamentary human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets. Ukraine and Russia are reportedly in negotiations to directly evacuate the town's inhabitants to Ukrainian-controlled territory, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

Lubinets stated that while there are still challenging issues to resolve, he hopes concrete results will soon emerge from the talks. Daily discussions are held between Ukrainian officials and Russian representatives, and Lubinets believes they have made the best progress possible.

In addition to Oleshky, Lubinets mentioned plans to evacuate residents from six nearby towns and villages, anticipating a total of around 6,000 people, including up to 200 children. Oleshky was seized by Russia at the onset of Ukraine's full-scale invasion in 2022, and by late 2026, the town's residents faced dire circumstances.

They were without food, electricity, and adequate medical care, and had no safe way to leave the city. Pope Leo XIV reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging a ceasefire to permit humanitarian aid deliveries and voluntary, secure evacuations.