Buses carry Oleshky residents to Russia and Belarus as Ukraine evacuates civilians

Residents of Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine currently held by Russian forces, began leaving their homes on Friday. They are traveling by bus to the Russian city of Anapa. From there, they will fly to Belarus and cross into northern Ukraine.

Davyd Arakhamia, a lawmaker for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, confirmed the route on Friday. This evacuation marks the fourth day of a temporary truce. It is described as the most significant pause in fighting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion four and a half years ago.

A convoy of 25 buses and several ambulances entered Oleshky earlier in the day. The vehicles carried food and medicine for the people remaining in the city. They also provided transport for those wishing to depart. Ukrainian authorities and local volunteers estimate that approximately 2,000 people still live in the war-damaged city.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s presidential office, stated that the humanitarian operation is currently underway. He noted that he is not part of the delegation physically present in Oleshky but is monitoring the efforts from abroad.

U.S. officials said First Lady Melania Trump helped broker the ceasefire and coordinate the mission. Pope Leo XIV also urged both leaders to permit aid deliveries and civilian evacuations. Russia and Ukraine issued identical statements saying anyone who wants to leave can do so safely. They added that those who stay will receive necessary humanitarian support.

The localized ceasefire in the Kherson region is expected to hold until Sunday evening. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman and chief negotiator, said the convoy assembled in Armiansk, a town in Russian-occupied Crimea. This location is about 85 kilometers south of Oleshky. Officials said demining of the routes into the city was completed late Thursday. Two people died during that process.

Video from Lubinets’ office showed him meeting older residents in Oleshky. One woman embraced him as others smiled. However, Ksenia Arkhipova, a volunteer who formerly lived in the city, reported a tense atmosphere. She said large numbers of Russian military personnel were present in Oleshky.

Arkhipova told the Associated Press that Russian troops are checking empty houses and moving into some of them. She said authorities are pressing locals to evacuate to Russia rather than Ukraine. She estimated that about 1,000 residents told her they wanted to leave. She added that the Ukrainian delegation’s presence was important because many residents feared interrogation or detention by Russian officials.

Fighting continued in other parts of the country. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched ballistic and other missiles along with scores of drones. The evacuation route was not officially disclosed, though Ukrainian public television reported that evacuees would travel hundreds of kilometers through Russia and Belarus before crossing the northern border.

Authorities invited a small number of Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. media organizations to cover the operation in Oleshky. The joint effort offered a brief pause in the conflict while the two sides maintained a grim war of attrition elsewhere.