Russia pressured Oleshky residents to flee to Russia, governor says. Most chose Ukraine anyway.

During a recent humanitarian operation to evacuate Oleshky residents from Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin stated that Russian forces and the Federal Security Service (FSB) pressured residents to flee to Russia. Despite this pressure, most evacuees opted to travel to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian human rights commissioners, as well as with US First Lady Melania Trump, took place during a temporary ceasefire from October 27th to November 1st.

Ukraine proposed evacuating people directly to Ukrainian-held Kherson by boat or air, but Russia rejected these options due to the river's minefields and safety concerns. Evacuees instead had to pass through occupied Crimea, Russia, and Belarus before reaching Ukraine. Most who chose Ukraine were seniors, ranging from a one-year-old child to a 94-year-old resident.

Hundreds may still remain in Oleshky, as the operation did not reach everyone who wanted to leave due to various reasons such as sheltering in basements, communication issues, or fear of Russian filtration. Ukraine and Russia's human rights commissioners agreed to continue humanitarian missions, though Moscow has not announced further operations.