Ukraine Evacuates 167 Civilians from Kherson as Oleshky Ceasefire Nears Expiry

Ukraine’s military evacuated 167 civilians from threatened areas of southern Kherson on Sunday as a temporary local ceasefire in Oleshky neared its expiration, just two days after busloads of residents were brought out of the embattled, Russian-held town.

The six-day truce, arranged with mediation from U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and involvement from Pope Leo, was set to end at midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT). It represents the longest local pause in fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Units of civil-military cooperation from Ukraine’s “South” group of forces, working alongside local authorities, moved the evacuees to safer points in the Kherson region, the General Staff said on Telegram. The group included 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility requiring special assistance.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to stay alert as the ceasefire approached its end, warning them to avoid so-called “red zones” near the Dnipro River, where Russian strikes remain intense and the threat to life is extremely high.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia viewed the Oleshky operation positively, along with coordination between the two countries’ human rights commissioners. Pope Leo said he hoped cooperation on the ceasefire would pave the way for broader peace efforts. Writing on X, Melania Trump said the pause had provided residents freedom of movement, access to food, clean water, and medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack.

On Saturday, starved and exhausted residents of Oleshky crossed into Ukraine after a circuitous journey from the front-line area. They traveled by bus through Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014—to the Russian town of Anapa, then flew to Belarus before continuing to Ukraine. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said those wishing to leave were initially taken to Crimea in 25 buses and nine ambulances before dividing into separate convoys. It remained unclear how many chose to stay in Russian-held Oleshky, which lies on the Dnipro opposite Ukrainian-held Kherson.

Both Ukrainian and Russian officials said the ceasefire had held without violations since Tuesday, allowing them to demine roads and deliver food, medicine, and other supplies to the town. Russian forces seized Oleshky immediately after the February 2022 invasion, though Ukrainian troops later recaptured much of the region, including Kherson city.

Military action continued elsewhere in Ukraine on Sunday. Regional governors and emergency services reported one death in a strike in the Sumy region on the Russian border, and at least one fatality in the central Vinnytsia region.

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