Russlands Krieg: Abschied von Oleschky – Ukrainer und Russen in Sicherheit

In a rescue operation labeled as "historical" by both warring parties, dozens of people were evacuated from the Russian-controlled frontline town of Oleshky to safety. Often leaving with only a few bags and their pets in cages, many were exhausted, wounded, or using crutches or wheelchairs. The evacuation came just in time before winter arrived.

Tears were shed as they left the debris-filled city and arrived at controlled territory in Kiev or Moscow, where some wept in joy. Ukraine celebrated its people as freed from Russian captivity, while those who left for Russian or Moscow-controlled areas saw themselves as victims of Ukrainian attacks. Neither side provided numbers of those evacuated.

US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV mediated the longest and most peaceful cease-fire and evacuation. Ukraine's human rights envoy, Dmytro Lubinez, called it an unprecedented feat and expressed interest in future humanitarian missions. Lubinez and his Russian colleague, Jana Lantratowa, showed satisfaction and suggested further missions in other frontline areas.

They announced more humanitarian aid missions and were thanked multiple times by both Moscow and Kiev for their Oleshky engagement, which was rare in their usual aggressive rhetoric. Lubinez and Lantratowa photographed rescued children and hugged the refugees. "The mission is over, but unfortunately, living conditions in Oleshky remain extremely difficult," Lantratowa said.

"We are doing everything to support the inhabitants." With Lubinez, she has thus agreed on further regular aid missions. "This is an important step," she emphasized. Oleshky once had 24,000 inhabitants but now has fewer than 1,000. Many remain in the death zone due to fear of danger, while others continue living relatively well from their own crops or greenhouses.

Electricity comes from solar panels scattered throughout the town, often visible next to houses destroyed by drone strikes. A 71-year-old resident said she stayed because she's too old to leave, taking care of her 22-year-old grandson with a missing leg. The Russian state pays a generous monthly pension of 31,000 Rubles (344 Euros) to many residents, more than in Ukraine.

Some wait to leave because they don't want to abandon others who don't want to leave or are in the hospital. Oleh, a former teacher, is grateful for the international attention Melania Trump brought to Oleshky, saying it helps very much. Moskva's Foreign Ministry invited foreign media, including Deutsche Presse-Agentur, to cover the evacuation from Oleshky.

Complex evacuation over Russia and Belarus was offered to those who chose to live under Ukrainian rule, taking a short but mined route across the Dnipro River into Cherson. Instead, they traveled through the Crimea and the Russian Black Sea city of Anapa. The many ruins and barbed wire nets for drones on the route were striking.

Four Russian military aircraft flew Ukrainian mission chief Lubinez and the rescued to Gomel in Belarus, where they continued by bus to Ukraine. The oldest evacuee was 94, and the youngest just one year old, said Lubinez after arrival. Even a squirrel was among the group. Life in Oleshky continues to be difficult, with 50-year-old Wera still hoping to see her 30-year-old son in Poland who she hasn't seen since the war began.

She and her husband Sascha plan to start a new life in Mykolajiv, where there is finally work again. However, new battles loom after the ceasefire, primarily the danger of being hit by a drone or stepping on a mine.