Documents published on October 28 about a local humanitarian agreement concerning Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson region describe a possible evacuation route for residents seeking to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory. Published photographs of the documents indicate a route through Anapa in Russia and Gomel in Belarus.
The document calls for a Russian Defense Ministry aircraft to transport evacuees to Belarus. It also mentions a Ukrainian delegation led by parliamentary human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets, which is to accompany the residents. One stage of the proposed route is scheduled for October 31.
The materials also describe plans for subsequent operations to bring residents out of settlements in the Kherson region, potentially with US First Lady Melania Trump acting as an intermediary. These provisions concern an agreed or proposed procedure. Photographs of documents do not in themselves establish that the evacuation has already taken place or that every planned stage will be carried out.
Oleshky is under Russian occupation. Shelling, mined roads, and damaged infrastructure have created severe obstacles for residents trying to leave the city. Russia and Ukraine, with US mediation, announced a local ceasefire to facilitate aid deliveries and preparations for an evacuation.
The published portion of the plan sets out a route as far as Gomel but does not specify the onward journey from Belarus into Ukraine.