The key facts
- Alyoshky residents flew from Anapa to Gomel aboard Russian Aerospace Forces military transport aviation
- The evacuation was accompanied by Verkhovna Rada Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets; the operation took place during a temporary ceasefire
- Residents asked Lantratova and Lubinets to organize another mission, especially for bedridden patients
Evacuation via Gomel
Residents of Alyoshky in Kherson region who wished to travel to Ukraine have flown from Anapa to Gomel in Belarus, from where they are planned to be transported to Ukrainian territory. Russian Aerospace Forces military transport aviation was used for the transfer, the Russian Defense Ministry reported (as published by Life.ru). The number of passengers is not specified in the ministry's statement.
Agreed route and accompaniment
The evacuees are accompanied by Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, who is taking part in the humanitarian mission together with representatives of the Russian side. The operation was preceded by an agreement between the parties on a temporary ceasefire; residents were given the opportunity to choose for themselves where to go after leaving the city.
What was known in advance
The route via Anapa and Belarus was agreed in advance: as Life.ru reported on October 29 citing Fox News, the agreements between Moscow and Kyiv provided for transporting Alyoshky residents by military transport aircraft to Gomel on October 31, followed by departure to Ukraine. According to that publication, the mediator in organizing the mission was US First Lady Melania Trump. Thus, the flight that took place corresponds to the previously announced plan rather than being a new decision.
Who remained in the city
The day before, Russian ombudswoman Yana Lantratova announced the completion of the main stage of the mission and, in her words, that the operation had passed without incidents. However, as Life.ru wrote on October 30, people who need assistance remain in Alyoshky: local residents asked Lantratova and Lubinets to organize another mission. Particular concern is raised by bedridden patients who cannot leave their homes on their own and reach medical facilities; townspeople asked representatives of both sides not to limit themselves to a single evacuation. No decision on this appeal was reported in the publications.
