A ceasefire came into effect in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshki in the Kherson region on October 27. Russia and Ukraine agreed on a temporary ceasefire so that local residents could be evacuated. Between 1,500 and 2,000 people remain in Oleshki, while 24,000 people lived there before the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
"Preparatory work is underway in Oleshki for the safe evacuation of people," announced the Ombudsman of Ukraine Dmitry Lubinets. He is leading the Ukrainian delegation, which has already left for Oleshki. The Russian side is represented by Ombudsman Yana Lantratova.
Lawyer Miroslava Kharchenko from the organization "Save Ukraine" told DV how the evacuation, which is scheduled to begin on October 30, could proceed.
They are clearing the road to the city
DV: We know that the fire in Oleshki has already stopped. Have actions begun to evacuate people from the city?
M. Kharchenko: No, there is no such information yet. Work has begun to clear the road from Oleshki to Radensk from mines. As for what is happening in the city itself, it is within the competence of the military. All those who are related to this action are asked to observe the regime of silence – since any careless word or action can lead to the entire evacuation being terminated.
In the meantime, information is being actively collected in closed local chats. The organizers are asking people to specify their date of birth and actual place of residence. They are asking them to provide the phone numbers of neighbors and relatives who are nearby, just in case, because the telephone connections are very poor.
The information is being collected because it may turn out that contact with the person registered for evacuation is impossible. In addition, data is being collected on the health status of people planning to evacuate, since among them there are sick and disabled people with wounds and injuries from mines. Therefore, we expect that those involved in organizing this evacuation will foresee the need to provide medical assistance to those in need.
Through territory occupied by Russia
DV: How exactly will the evacuation proceed?
M. Kharchenko: As far as is known, the route along the river is very dangerous. That is why we have not heard confirmation that it has been approved. Apparently, the route will pass through the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, and perhaps through Russian territory until it reaches Ukraine. But again, for security reasons, this information is not disclosed, because the situation is very dangerous. We all pray that the evacuation will be successful.
DV: What is known about the number of people who need to be evacuated? It is known that the deadline for the evacuation is November 1.
"People are afraid that they can be taken somewhere"
M. Kharchenko: It is good that the evacuation will last more than one day. We expect that the people who will leave Oleshki first will become a positive example for others. Because those who are now in the city are very afraid, as there have been many provocations. This is not the first attempt to organize a “green corridor“. They are afraid that they may be taken somewhere and subjected to “filtration measures”. That is why many of them treat everything with suspicion. But these are just suspicions. They may not leave on the first day of the evacuation, but in general we are counting on the number of people to be at least 500. However, everything is very uncertain.
DV: How would you assess the role of Melania Trump – it was said that the merit for the evacuation belongs to her.
M. Kharchenko: We are infinitely grateful to Melania Trump for drawing attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshki. This is actually genocide committed by the Russian Federation. And I repeat, this is not the first attempt to organize a corridor for demining the city. Therefore, we are grateful to Melania Trump for her efforts and for the fact that the evacuation will probably take place. We will be even more grateful when people manage to leave Oleshki and find themselves in territory controlled by Ukraine.
The difficulties are many
DV: How long do you think it will take to transport people?
M. Kharchenko: I can't say exactly how much, but it will obviously take time to clear the roads to the city. The streets in the city itself are also mined, which will also take time. There is a hospital there, from which people also need to be taken. There is also a morgue, from which bodies need to be taken. I don't know if this will be included in this corridor, but it is definitely necessary for the identification of the dead, for establishing the causes of death. And this will take time, no matter how efficiently the military works. It is very difficult to make assumptions, because everything is kept in complete secrecy. The statements from both the Russian and Ukrainian sides are very cautious, which is obviously justified, Miroslava Kharchenko told DW.
Meanwhile, the Russian agency "Novosti" announced that the residents of Oleshki who wish to return to Ukraine will first be taken to Anapa, then transported by plane of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to the Belarusian city of Gomel, and only from there will they be transferred to their homeland.
Source: www.dw.com