Nearly 800 people evacuated from Oleshky, Melania Trump says, as Kyiv, Moscow withhold figures
on Google
U.S. first lady Melania Trump said on Nov. 2 that nearly 800 people were evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky during a humanitarian operation, though neither Kyiv nor Moscow has disclosed its own figures.
"The mission was a success, delivering critical aid to the region and enabling the evacuation of nearly 800 people," Melania Trump said in a statement on X.
The exact number of people evacuated from Oleshky remains unclear, as neither Ukraine nor Russia has disclosed how many civilians crossed into territory under their control.
Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said at a press conference on Nov. 2 that Kyiv and Moscow could not officially disclose the number of people evacuated from Oleshky "under the terms of the prior agreement."
Lubinets added that Ukraine's Ombudsman's Office hopes to expand the mechanism to facilitate the return of people from other Russian-occupied territories.
The ceasefire, brokered with the help of Melania Trump to facilitate the evacuation of civilians, lasted from 3 a.m. on Oct. 27 until 11 p.m. on Nov. 1. Neither Ukraine nor Russia reported any violations of the ceasefire during that period.
Lubinets said on Oct. 31 that 25 buses with a combined capacity of 750 passengers were prepared for the evacuation, though he did not say whether they would all be filled.
The humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, which has been under Russian occupation since 2022, worsened in mid-2026. Residents were deliberately deprived of food and water by Russian occupying forces and faced drone attacks when attempting to leave the town.
Under international humanitarian law, Russia is obligated to protect civilians living in territories under its occupation.
