Home · World · Oct 31 archive
Evacuees from Oleshky Arrive in Belarus
Confirmed
In Short: Evacuees from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky arrived in Belarus on Saturday, marking a significant humanitarian mission.
![OLESHKY ROUTE OPEN ⚠️ Civilians Freed Via Belarus | Massive Night Strikes Hit 3 Fronts [31 Oct 2026]](../../../../media/2026-10-31-evacuees-from-oleshky-arrive-in-belarus-full.webp)
Evacuees from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky arrived in Belarus on Saturday, marking a significant humanitarian mission. An estimated 2,000 people remained in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold, with many staying behind despite the widespread devastation and lack of basic services.
According to Ukrainian parliament member David Arakhamia, four planes carrying evacuees landed in the southeastern Belarusian town of Gomel. The evacuation mission required careful coordination to ensure safe passage and demining of roads near Oleshky.
Ivan Yevhenovych, a 48-year-old evacuee, described the last months in Oleshky as very difficult, with constant drone surveillance and daily Russian attacks on the town's energy infrastructure.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Ombudsman, noted that evacuees ranged in age from just over a year old to 94, and they brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot, and a raccoon. Volunteers and police officers unloaded these pets in Chernihiv region, Ukraine, as the evacuees crossed the Belarus-Ukraine border.
Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked Ukrainian soldiers for helping her escape Oleshky. She expressed hope that the evacuation would be a short-term measure, but acknowledged that two years had already passed since the initial occupation.
The evacuees were met in Gomel by rescue workers, medical teams, and Red Cross volunteers, as reported by Belarusian state media. Olena, who now lives in Kyiv, said her grandmother and wider family in Oleshky were staying behind.
Ukrainian authorities have not released information about how many people left Oleshky or where they crossed the border, seeking to protect those who remained and safeguard future humanitarian missions.
The evacuation mission was facilitated by a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, the longest and most widespread since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, allowing for the road out of Oleshky to be demined.
The evacuees face numerous challenges ahead, including replacing lost documents, medical treatment, arranging long-term housing, and reconnecting with family members. Lubinets assured that his office would assist in addressing these issues.
What this adds
The evacuation mission required careful coordination to ensure safe passage and demining of roads near Oleshky.
Ukrainian authorities have not released information about how many people left Oleshky or where they crossed the border, seeking to protect those who remained and safeguard future humanitarian missions.
What's confirmed
- Holding a cigarette between shaking fingers, 48-year-old Ivan Yevhenovych described his last months in Oleshky.
- Lubinets said evacuees ranged in age from just over a year old to 94, and they brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon.
- An estimated 2,000 people remained in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold.
- In this screenshot from a video provided by the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, left, speaks with residents of Oleshky during their evacuation to a safe area amid a local ceasefire connected to a humanitarian aid mission in Oleshky, Kherson region, Ukraine, Friday, Oct.
- Ukrainian authorities are not releasing information about how many people left Oleshky or where they crossed the border.
- Ukrainian serviceman Dmytro, center, hugs his family after they being evacuated from their Russian-occupied hometown as they cross the Belarus-Ukraine border in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, Oct.
- Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky have crossed into Ukrainian-held territory.
- “Many people stayed behind and didn’t want to leave,” Yevhenovych said.
- Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her escape Oleshky.
- A resident of Oleshky reacts as she speak on the phone after being evacuated from her Russian-occupied hometown while crossing the Belarus-Ukraine border in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, Oct.
- Volunteers and police officers unload pets owned by evacuated Oleshki residents after they being evacuated from their Russian-occupied hometown as they cross the Belarus-Ukraine border in Chernyhiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, Oct.
- Olena, who now lives in Kyiv, said her grandmother and wider family in Oleshky were staying behind.
What's still developing
- Saturday, October 31, 2026 · 9:37 AM ET Updated 9:36 AM ET · 7:53 AM ET Confirmed In Short: Hundreds of residents from the war-torn Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky arrived in Belarus on Saturday, en route to Ukrainian territory.
- Residents were given a four-hour period to leave Oleshky before a convoy of 25 buses, with room for 750 people, departed on Friday afternoon.
- Kyiv time, the Ukrainian delegation had safely reached Oleshky, and the ceasefire had been in effect for 80 hours and was still holding, Lubinets said.
- According to Kyiv's estimates, approximately 2,000 people remained in Oleshky before the humanitarian operation, compared with a prewar population of 24,000.