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Four Planes With Oleshky Evacuees Land in Belarus
Confirmed
In Short: Four planes carrying hundreds of residents from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky landed in Belarus on Saturday, en route to Ukrainian territory.
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Residents from the war-torn town of Oleshky, ravaged by years of conflict, crossed into Ukraine after being evacuated via Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.
Four aircraft carrying Ukrainian civilians from Oleshky landed in Gomel, Belarus, on Saturday, parliamentary leader David Arakhamia said. The evacuees were then transferred to buses for the final leg of their journey into Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova reported from Moscow that the journey for the evacuees was a long one. Meanwhile, Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from the Ukrainian side of the border, noted that a large media presence and humanitarian aid workers were on site to assist the evacuees.
Ukrainian and Russian officials visited Oleshky together on Friday, delivering aid and marshalling those who wanted to leave in a rare show of cooperation between the warring sides.
Oleshky residents were given the option to stay in the town or travel to Russia. Russia’s ombudswoman, Yana Lantratova, said buses also transported residents who wanted to live in Russia.
The evacuation mission was brokered by a ceasefire, allowing for the road out of Oleshky to be demined. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reported that approximately 1,700 people remained in Oleshky, a city in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast.
The evacuation process began on Friday with the departure of a Ukrainian delegation and residents from Oleshky to the Russian city of Anapa, from where they flew to Belarus.
Relatives waited at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border on Saturday, along with aid tents, coffee stands, and provisions for pets the evacuees were bringing with them.
Olena, who now lives in Kyiv, said her grandmother and wider family in Oleshky were staying behind despite the widespread devastation and lack of basic services.
The evacuation mission was a significant humanitarian effort, with the Ukrainian delegation traveling to Oleshky via Anapa in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, from where they flew to Belarus before continuing by bus to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
What this adds
It remains unclear whether Russia plans to subject Oleshky residents to filtration screening during an intermediate stage of the journey.
The evacuation process was a rare moment of cooperation between Ukrainian and Russian officials, with both sides working together to facilitate the safe departure of civilians from Oleshky.
Background
Hundreds of residents from the war-torn Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky arrived in Belarus on Saturday, en route to Ukrainian territory.
Hundreds of residents from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky were evacuated to Belarus on Saturday, with some choosing to remain in the war-torn city.
What's confirmed
- “I thank the American side and US First Lady Melania Trump for their mediation.” Four planes carrying the Oleshky evacuees arrived in the southeastern Belarusian town of Gomel on Saturday, said Ukrainian parliament member David Arakhamia.
- Civilians from Oleshky, on the Dnipro River, began the long journey out of the war-ravaged region in bus convoys on Friday.
- “We will be home soon,” said a video post from Lubinets at Homel airport.
What's still developing
- Evacuation gathering points were established around the town’s central hospital, prioritizing elderly residents, individuals with disabilities, and families with children, while allowing evacuees to bring household pets.
- “The last, fourth plane has touched down in Gomel, Belarus,” Arakhamia stated on social media.
- 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.
- It remains unclear whether Russia plans to subject Oleshky residents to filtration screening during an intermediate stage of the journey.