Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reached Ukrainian-controlled territory on October 31 following a 19-hour journey through Crimea and Belarus.
In Gomel, Belarus, four planes carrying residents evacuated from the town landed on 31 October. David Arakhamia, a senior Ukrainian negotiator in peace talks and an ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed the final aircraft’s arrival.
The last, fourth plane landed in Gomel,
Arakhamia said the evacuees from Oleshky and a Ukrainian delegation would reach Ukrainian territory within hours. They arrived after a long journey at the border crossing in Chernihiv Oblast with Belarus.
The route ran by bus via Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa. From there, they flew to Belarus, then travelled to Ukraine via a border crossing. Belta said buses carrying the residents left Gomel airport, in south-eastern Belarus near the border with Ukraine.
During a US-backed local ceasefire, hundreds of starving and exhausted residents left Oleshky. Called the war’s longest humanitarian halt, the pause in fighting was also a first for the conflict. Mediation by US First Lady Melania Trump and the Pope helped secure the agreement.
Ceasefire terms and timeline
The White House credited First Lady Melania Trump with announcing the truce on 23 October. The truce began at 03:00 Kyiv time on 27 October, and the zone was later widened. Ukrainian and Russian officials said there had been no violations since 27 October.
Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the ceasefire had been in effect for 80 hours and was still in force when the Ukrainian delegation reached Oleshky on 30 October. The pause gave crews time to clear mines from the roads and deliver food, medicine and other necessities to the town.
- 23 OctTruce announced The White House announced the ceasefire, crediting First Lady Melania Trump.
- 27 OctCeasefire begins The truce took effect at 03:00 Kyiv time and has held without violations.
- 30 OctDelegation arrives Lubinets and his delegation safely reached Russian-occupied Oleshky.
- 31 OctEvacuation completes Planes landed in Belarus and evacuees began the final leg to Ukraine.
- 1 NovTruce ends The ceasefire is due to end at 22:59 Kyiv time.
Lubinets and his delegation arrived safely in Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast on 30 October. He spoke with residents about their needs. Preparations included 25 buses with 750 seats, as well as ambulances for people with limited mobility, Lubinets said.
We are in Oleshky! The Ukrainian delegation has safely reached the city. The ceasefire has been in effect for 80 hours and remains in place. I am currently on the ground, speaking with local residents to hear about their needs and understand what kind of assistance they need…
About 750 people registered for evacuation, Newsmax journalist Alex Salvi said. Among a small number of non-Russian reporters allowed to accompany the mission in Oleshky, he reported that 11 busloads were headed to Ukraine, while four buses carried people who had opted for Russia. Most registrants chose Ukraine over Russia.
Conditions in Oleshky
About 1,700 people remained in Oleshky, Ukrainian officials said, compared with a pre-war population of about 24,000. Many were elderly or ill. In recent months, residents had little food, drinking water, electricity or medical supplies.
Hundreds of people were left starving after food deliveries to Oleshky stopped in May. Russian forces had effectively isolated the town, keeping humanitarian organizations from bringing in aid. Liudmyla Burychenko, an evacuee, described the danger from drones.
There were drones there flying around (in recent months). We took shelter in the basement,
Iryna Mohylna, a relative awaiting her godfather, described the conditions for survival and said mines made moving around the city extremely dangerous. The evacuees ranged in age from a child who had just turned one to a 94-year-old.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the mission was successful. He thanked all parties involved, including U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
When there is the attention of the world, there is the salvation of people,
More than 30 staff members were ready to help the evacuees at Chernihiv Regional Hospital, its director, Andrii Zhydenko, said. Transfers to Kyiv hospitals were available if needed. Zhydenko called the return a celebration.
It's a celebration because we're bringing our Ukrainians home,
The Kyiv Independent described the mission as the biggest humanitarian operation of its kind that has been made public, one that involved civilians from Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation. Ukraine has often helped its citizens come back from occupied areas, but the Oleshky effort stood apart, the outlet said, because of both its scale and the part played by a US-mediated ceasefire in Kherson Oblast in letting civilians leave safely.
Humanitarian Operations Compared
Oleshky Mission
October 2026
- US-mediated ceasefire
- Complex route via Russia and Belarus
- Largest known humanitarian extraction
Previous Corridors
2022–2025
- Smaller scale exchanges
- Direct routes where possible
- Limited international mediation
The number of people evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled territory had not been disclosed because the operation was highly sensitive, officials said.
What we know
- The ceasefire held without violations from 27 October.
- Evacuees reached Ukrainian territory on 31 October.
- The ceasefire came after mediation by Melania Trump and with the Pope's involvement.
Still unclear
- The exact number of people evacuated.
- How many people decided to stay in Oleshky.
The ceasefire is scheduled to finish at 22:59 Kyiv time on 1 November. Lubinets said it would last until 11 p.m., longer than any pause in fighting in any area since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
