Following the establishment of a ceasefire and the demining of the road to Oleshky in the Kherson region, a civilian evacuation was organized, along with the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to Ombudsman Lubinets, residents of Oleshky were divided into three categories: those who decided to stay, those who wanted to leave for Ukrainian-controlled territories, and those who requested assistance to leave for temporarily occupied territories or Russia.
Conflicting Data on Evacuation Numbers
Official data on the number of evacuated residents from Oleshky remains unclear. Russian ombudsman Lantratova stated that “much less than 750 people” left Oleshky, although this figure was previously mentioned as a possible maximum. She emphasized that she did not have the opportunity to accurately count the number of evacuees due to the lack of time for accounting.
Reactions to the Evacuation
According to information provided by Lubinets, both sides, Kiev and Moscow, agreed not to publish exact evacuation figures. However, some reports suggest that more people left for Ukraine than for Russia. Many residents of Oleshky decided to remain under Russian control, while some were evacuated even before the humanitarian mission arrived.