The key facts

  • The humanitarian mission to Oleshky is scheduled for Friday, October 30; the ceasefire for the town is in effect until Sunday
  • About 2,000 residents can evacuate only through Russia or occupied Crimea, with no guaranteed access to Ukrainian-controlled territory
  • The mission was coordinated with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump; former Ukrainian PM Yatsenyuk accuses Moscow of using civilians as “hostages”

First mission in several years

On Friday, October 30, a humanitarian mission is due to arrive in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region — the first operation of its kind in several years, as Euronews reports. Evacuation of residents and distribution of aid are planned, lasting until the second half of the day. The ceasefire agreed for the operation remains in effect until Sunday.

A choice for 2,000 residents

For the roughly 2,000 residents remaining in the town, the deadline means a difficult choice: risk leaving through Russia or occupied Crimea — without any guaranteesof reaching Ukrainian-controlled territory — or stay in a town where basic necessities are becoming increasingly unavailable. Earlier, Tetyana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky city military administration, described the situation on the ground to Euronews: “People were forced to eat grass,” “the town is practically destroyed.”

The political backdrop of the mission

The humanitarian operation was coordinated with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump. Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said on the Europe Today program that “there is no way to trust the Russians” regarding the ceasefire, called what is happening in Oleshky a “humanitarian catastrophe” and “a real hell,” and accused Moscow of using civilians as “hostages” and staging a humanitarian operation to portray itself as their savior. Whether the mission will succeed remains unknown; that is exactly what all sides are watching.