Oleshky Evacuation: Residents Bound for Ukraine Flown to Belarus on Russian Military Aircraft
Residents evacuated from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region who chose to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory have been flown from Anapa in southern Russia to Gomel in Belarus aboard Russian military transport aircraft, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on its official Telegram channel on 31 October 2026.
- Evacuees from Oleshky who asked to go to Ukraine departed Anapa airport for Gomel, Belarus
- Flights are operated by military transport aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), according to the Defence Ministry
- The group is accompanied by Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner
- The operation follows a localised ceasefire around Oleshky that took effect on 27 October
- Up to about 2,000 people were reported to remain in the town, which had some 24,000 residents before the war
What Russia’s Defence Ministry said
In a brief statement headlined “People’s lives are the priority”, the ministry said the residents had expressed a wish to leave for Ukraine during the evacuation carried out as part of the humanitarian mission. It said they flew out of Anapa airport towards Gomel, in Belarus, escorted by Lubinets, and that the transport was being performed by aircraft of the VKS military transport fleet. The ministry did not say how many people were on board or how many flights were planned.
A rare joint humanitarian operation
The evacuation began on 30 October under a localised, time-limited ceasefire around Oleshky, a town on the left bank of the Dnipro that Russian forces captured shortly after the February 2022 invasion. The White House has credited First Lady Melania Trump with mediating the pause, while the Vatican has said Pope Leo also helped secure it through calls with both presidents. Lubinets and Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, coordinated the operation; around 25 buses with roughly 750 seats were prepared, and both sides reported that routes had been demined. Residents could choose to go either to Russia or to Ukrainian-controlled territory, with the latter group routed through Belarus.
Disputes and concerns
The operation has not been free of controversy. A Ukrainian volunteer alleged that Russia began moving residents before the agreed start, and Ukrainian officials, including Andrii Sybiha, warned that Moscow could pressure civilians towards Russia or stage footage. Kyiv has also not published final figures; a number of 527 people heading to Ukrainian-controlled areas was later described by a Ukrainian official as having been shared by mistake. Kherson’s Ukrainian governor reported that one person was injured by a mine on 29 October, and Lantratova said two people had been killed during demining.
What comes next
Evacuees travelling via Gomel are expected to cross from Belarus into Ukraine. Humanitarian aid deliveries to the residents remaining in Oleshky, who have lived for months without reliable electricity, heating or running water, were due to continue while the ceasefire holds. Independent confirmation of the number of people evacuated was not immediately available.
Featured image: Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 (file photo) — Senior Airman Melissa Sheffield, USAF / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
