Ukraine evacuates civilians from parts of Kherson region as expiry of Oleshky ceasefire nears

Ukraine's military evacuated 167 civilians from threatened areas of the southern Kherson region on Sunday as a temporary local ceasefire drew near its end, two days after 167 residents were brought out of the Russian-held town of Oleshky. The six-day ceasefire, reached through mediation efforts by US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo, was set to expire at midnight Moscow time.

This marked the longest pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The evacuees included 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility who required special assistance. Kherson region Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to stay vigilant as the ceasefire was nearing its expiration and to avoid visiting the so-called "red zones" near the Dnipro, where Russian strikes continued to pose a significant threat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Russian news agencies, expressed Russia's positive view of the operation in Oleshky and the coordination between the two countries' human rights commissioners. Pope Leo spoke of his hope that the cooperation between Russia and Ukraine in implementing the ceasefire would pave the way for broader peace efforts.

Melania Trump, in a tweet on X, stated that the ceasefire had provided residents with freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, and a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack. Rescued residents of Oleshky, some for Russia and some for Ukraine, traveled initially to Crimea in 25 buses and nine ambulances before splitting into separate convoys to their destinations.

The ceasefire has been holding since Tuesday without violations, allowing for the de-mining of roads and the delivery of essential supplies. Oleshky, on the Dnipro River opposite Ukraine's Ukrainian-held main town of Kherson, was taken over by Russian forces immediately after the February 2022 invasion, but Ukrainian troops recaptured much of the region, including Kherson, later that year.

Military action continued on Sunday, with one death reported in a strike in the Sumy region on the Russian border and at least one in the central region of Vinnytsia.