Designated routes into the city had been cleared of mines. A convoy of 25 buses with a total capacity of 750 passengers, along with nine ambulances and more than 50 medical professionals, had been prepared to help residents leave, according to Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova.
“People who wish to leave for the territory of the Russian federation are gathering here,” Lantratova said in a video from the city posted Friday. “Over there are also people who wish to leave for the territory of Ukraine. Everyone will be given the opportunity to do so. People are gradually boarding the buses.”
Ukrainian representatives also said they were on the ground.
“We are in Oleshky!” Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said in a statement, adding that the ceasefire had now lasted more than 80 hours. “I am now speaking with local residents on the ground to hear about their needs and to understand what help they need most.”
Kyrylo Budanov, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, said in a statement that it was “an important operation, and it must be continued. For Ukraine, the life of every citizen matters. We keep working.”
Russian forces seized Oleshky in the early stages of the 2022 invasion and fighting has devastated the city since. The dominance of drone warfare in this conflict makes aboveground travel extremely dangerous, and services and supplies have deteriorated sharply since May.
Oleshky’s pre-invasion population of more than 20,000 has dwindled to an estimated 2,000, with those left behind surviving on tiny amounts of grain and edible weeds.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
