Ukrainian forces evacuate civilians around Kherson Oblast during Oleshky ceasefire
on Google
Ukrainian forces evacuated 167 civilians from around the Kherson Oblast amid the Oleshky humanitarian ceasefire, Ukraine's General Staff announced on Nov. 1.
"During the ceasefire regime," the General Staff said, "the Ukrainian Defense Forces used the opportunities created by the security situation to evacuate residents of the right bank of the Kherson region."
From Oct. 27 to 11 p.m. local time on Nov. 1, Russian and Ukrainian forces observed a ceasefire around the city of Oleshky in the southern Kherson Oblast. Occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the full-scale invasion, 2,000 residents of Oleshky faced starvation and humanitarian crises as Russian forces blockaded aid to the city.
On Oct. 31, evacuated residents of Oleshky began returning to Ukrainian-controlled territory as the humanitarian ceasefire held.
Throughout the war, the Kherson Oblast has remained one of the most beleaguered and hazardous regions of Ukraine, with constant threats trapping citizens even in Ukrainian-held territories.
"Those who were able to leave were those who had not previously had the opportunity to leave the dangerous areas," said the General Staff about the additional residents evacuated from the oblast in the new operation.
Units from Ukraine's "South" task force cooperated with local authorities to evacuate Kherson Oblast residents trapped on the right bank of the Dnipro River to safer areas in the region. 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility were among the evacuated, the General Staff said.
The "South" task force units "strictly" adhered to the ceasefire agreement during the operation while helping conduct the evacuation through mined roads and areas littered with destroyed military equipment and civilian vehicles.
"Despite these risks, the main priority remains the preservation of the lives of the civilian population and the provision of assistance to those who are unable to leave dangerous areas on their own," the General Staff said. "Each person saved is the result of joint work and coordinated interaction of all those involved in the humanitarian mission."
