Ukraine seeks to arrange another evacuation for Oleshky residents, Lubinets said

Ukrainian officials are considering organizing another safe evacuation for residents of Oleshky and nearby communities, according to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman. This comes in the wake of a successful humanitarian mission that concluded on November 1st. Following the initial evacuation, Lubinets' office has received numerous calls and inquiries from Oleshky residents eager to leave for territory controlled by Ukraine.

For the upcoming evacuation to take place, Lubinets stressed that the necessary humanitarian and security conditions must be met. As soon as these conditions are established, information will be provided to those seeking evacuation. Lubinets' office is actively gathering and updating information on individuals wishing to leave, with special attention given to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with reduced mobility, people with disabilities, the seriously ill, and families with children.

Evacuated Oleshky residents, such as Alla Tyshenko and Olha Liutikova, have expressed regret for not having left earlier, citing fear of trusting Russia to adhere to the ceasefire. Despite Ukraine's willingness to continue rescuing civilians in endangered areas, the Kremlin has ruled out further humanitarian operations in the near future.

The exact number of remaining residents in Oleshky cannot be verified, and Ukraine cannot disclose the number of evacuees as per an agreement with Russia. The Oleshky community consists of 13 settlements, five of which have been completely destroyed. The humanitarian situation in the surrounding settlements is deteriorating, leaving more civilians in critical conditions.

Oleshky, once home to around 24,000 people, now has only approximately 2,000 residents as of October, including about 50 children. Under international humanitarian law, Russia is required to protect civilians in territories under its occupation.