Ukraine evacuates 167 civilians in Kherson region as Oleshky ceasefire expires

Kherson, Ukraine. Ukraine’s military reported that it evacuated 167 people from threatened areas of the southern Kherson region on Sunday, as a temporary local ceasefire came to an end. The evacuation took place two days after buses took residents out of the Russian-held town of Oleshky.

Ceasefire and its expiry

The six-day truce covered Oleshky and the area around it. It was agreed after mediation by US first lady Melania Trump and with the involvement of Pope Leo. It was the longest local pause in fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Related: Residents of Russian-held Oleshky cross into Ukraine during a six-day local ceasefire

RelatedResidents of Russian-held Oleshky cross into Ukraine during a six-day local ceasefire

The truce expired at midnight Moscow time, which was 2100 GMT. There was no immediate sign that hostilities had resumed on either side.

Details of the evacuation

Ukraine’s General Staff said its units worked with local authorities to take 167 civilians to safer locations in the Kherson region. Among those evacuated were 22 children and 21 people with limited mobility who needed special assistance.

Statements from officials

Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegram that both sides had kept to their commitments for the whole period of the truce. He added that he and Yana Lantratova, Russia’s commissioner for human rights, were looking at ways to continue similar humanitarian work. In his words, “It is important to maintain this interaction mechanism so that we can keep helping people and saving lives.”

Kherson region governor Oleksandr Prokudin had urged residents to stay vigilant as the ceasefire neared its end. He also called on people not to enter the so-called red zones, meaning areas and settlements close to the Dnipro. He wrote on Telegram: “The intensity of Russian strikes there remains high, and the threat to life is extremely high.”