Save Ukraine Foundation expects 500 residents to leave Oleshky in staged evacuation

Preparations to move civilians out of Oleshky started immediately after the ceasefire took hold.

The town in Ukraine's Kherson region has been cut off from the outside since 2022. Russian forces occupied the area that year. In 2023, the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam caused flooding that further isolated the population. All access roads along the Dnipro River were mined. Approximately 2,000 people still live in the town.

Former residents who escaped described a lack of electricity, water, and medicine. They reported severe hunger. The Save Ukraine Foundation says it has rescued at least 300 civilians from Oleshky in the past six months.

Myroslava Kharchenko, a lawyer with the foundation, confirmed that mine-clearing operations began on the road at 8 a.m. on October 27. The ceasefire started at 3 a.m. Kyiv time, which was 4 a.m. in Russia. Inside the town, operations are under military control. Strict confidentiality rules apply to everyone involved in the process.

Organizers are collecting data through closed local chat groups. Residents are filling out registration forms and application documents. Officials are verifying dates of birth and current addresses. They are also gathering contact information for neighbors and relatives because communication systems are unreliable. Organizers are recording health conditions for those planning to leave, including people with limited mobility, recent blast injuries, and mine-related wounds.

The evacuation route has not been officially confirmed. A river route is considered dangerous and unapproved. The likely path passes through temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory and possibly Russia before reaching Ukrainian government-controlled areas. Kharchenko stated that the evacuation is not expected to happen in a single day. The first group of evacuees is intended to serve as an example for others.

Residents remain wary of the process due to previous failed attempts to establish humanitarian corridors. Kharchenko estimated that around 500 people may eventually be evacuated. She expressed gratitude to Melania Trump for drawing attention to the situation. Kharchenko described the conditions as a humanitarian catastrophe and referred to the events as genocide committed by the Russian Federation.

The physical start date for the evacuation remains uncertain. Mine-clearing crews must clear roads leading into the city. They must also clear streets inside Oleshky. A hospital requires evacuation, and a nearby morgue holds bodies that need to be recovered. Organizers must identify the remains and determine causes of death. Both Russian and Ukrainian sides have issued cautious statements regarding the operation's details.