Ukraine, Russia nearing agreement on evacuation of civilians from occupied Oleshky, ombudsman says

Ukraine and Russia are reportedly close to reaching an agreement on the specifics of evacuating civilians from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. Oleshky has been under Russian control since the start of the ongoing conflict. The town's residents face dire shortages of essentials and are unable to safely leave due to mined roads, drone strikes, and interrogations by Russian troops.

Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets indicated on October 18 that talks are progressing toward a local ceasefire that would allow for direct evacuation to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Lubinets did not specify the exact details, but suggested the evacuees could cross the Dnipro River into the Ukrainian-controlled western bank.

Negotiations have been ongoing between Kyiv and Moscow, with Kyiv proposing an evacuation plan previously. However, no official agreement has been publicly disclosed yet, and it is still uncertain when the evacuation could commence. Lubinets estimated that over 6,000 people might still be trapped in Oleshky and the surrounding areas.