Residents began leaving Russian-occupied Oleshky as aid reached the southern Ukrainian city during a local ceasefire, Ukraine’s Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said.
Lubinets said residents who wanted to travel to Ukrainian-held territory had left, and separate bus groups were heading toward Ukraine and Russia. His update gave no total for those who departed.
Ukraine’s ombudsman said 25 buses had been prepared, along with ambulances for people with limited mobility. The buses could carry up to 750 people, though the update did not say how many boarded.
The Associated Press reported that a convoy of buses, ambulances, trucks and other vehicles reached Oleshky on Oct. 30 carrying food and medicine. Oleshky is in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region and has been occupied by Russia since 2022.
The White House said the ceasefire was intended to allow aid deliveries and prepare a route for civilians to leave. The aid delivery follows earlier announcements that the truce had taken effect and the mission had begun. Lubinets said the truce was due to continue through Sunday, Nov. 1.
