The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has given a positive assessment of the evacuation of residents from Oleshky and expressed its readiness to support future humanitarian missions. OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said this in response to a TASS inquiry about the office’s possible participation in an operation in Konstantynivka.
Shamdasani did not confirm that a decision had been made regarding a specific mission. Her remarks indicate that OHCHR could consider supporting similar initiatives if the necessary conditions and guarantees for the safety of civilians are agreed upon.
The Mission in Oleshky
The evacuation from Oleshky took place at the end of October during a temporary local ceasefire. The humanitarian operation involved the delivery of aid and the evacuation of residents from the city, which is located in the occupied part of Kherson region.
According to a statement by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, nearly 800 people were evacuated. On November 1, the ceasefire ended, and Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that people who remained in Oleshky and the surrounding settlements continued to seek an opportunity to leave the area.
Ukraine is exploring the possibility of an additional evacuation, but new humanitarian and security arrangements must be agreed upon for it to take place. Particular attention is being paid to elderly people, residents with limited mobility, seriously ill people and families with children.
No Confirmed Mission in Konstantynivka
The idea of a similar operation in Konstantynivka was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 12 during his meeting with U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The Ukrainian side, however, has not confirmed that the mission is being prepared. Lubinets said that he was not aware of any work on such an operation.
“Konstantynivka was not mentioned at all among the settlements where similar humanitarian missions could be conducted,” the Ukrainian ombudsman said.
According to him, Ukrainian institutions have a preliminary list of settlements where humanitarian initiatives are being discussed, but at present the focus is on the occupied areas of Kherson region and the possibility of carrying out additional evacuations from Oleshky.
Thus, OHCHR’s position leaves open the possibility of future international support, but does not mean that an operation in Konstantynivka has been agreed upon. Its implementation would require agreement between the parties, a safe route and specific guarantees for the civilian population.
Sources: tass.ru, newsukraine.rbc.ua, en.interfax.com.ua