Ukraine’s and Russia’s ombudsmen agree to keep working on regular humanitarian missions after the Oleshky evacuation

Ukraine's and Russia's human rights commissioners have reached an agreement to continue regular humanitarian missions after the evacuation from the occupied town of Oleshky, according to Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets on October 31st. However, the ceasefire that made the evacuation possible ended the following day, leaving those left behind without protection.

In July, the Institute for the Study of War had found evidence of a blockade by Russia on Oleshky, which is located across the Dnipro River from Ukrainian-controlled Kherson. A study by journalist Zarina Zabrisky in May revealed that the existing route out, through Crimea, Russia, and Belarus, was not effective, with only three out of 20 people who attempted it managing to escape.

Lubinets and Russian ombudsman Yana Lantratova announced their commitment to continuing regular missions, with Oleshky being the first step due to the constant need for support among those living near the front line. Lantratova stated that both sides had agreed to hold regular missions on the same day, while Lubinets mentioned that they were exploring further possibilities of such steps.

As of October 30th, about 700 to 1,000 individuals may still be in Oleshky, with many fearing a provocation or not wanting to leave their homes. Following the truce, Ukrainian troops successfully evacuated 167 civilians, including 22 children, from Ukrainian-held river settlements under daily Russian shelling on November 1st. The bodies of those who remained were moved to Henichesk, where Ukrainian journalist Oleh Baturin reported that dozens of civilian corpses were found there, and volunteer Kseniia Arkhipova confirmed this, mentioning that 47 bodies had been stored in the hospital basements since May.

The circumstances of their deaths remain unclear. Oleshky's Ukrainian military administration head, Tetiana Hasanenko, had previously reported that over 100 bodies were buried at the hospital, which had been without electricity for four years. The question now arises as to where these evacuees can go, as Russia may not allow them a free choice to return to Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's assertion that Oleshky is a "Russian settlement."