Russian representatives announced on October 30 that a humanitarian convoy had begun moving toward Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson region. Kirill Dmitriev, a special representative of the Russian president, reported the mission's departure, while human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova described the vehicles prepared to deliver aid and evacuate residents wishing to leave.
According to Lantratova, the convoy includes 25 buses with a total capacity of at least 750 seats, nine ambulances and vehicles for bedridden patients and medical personnel. She said the buses were stocked with food and water, and that separate transport had been arranged for residents with pets.
A day earlier, the Associated Press described preparations for the mission and work to clear mines from the road. The localized ceasefire to deliver aid and allow evacuations was brokered with the involvement of US first lady Melania Trump; Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also took part in the negotiations. Oleshky remains under Russian occupation, and residents face shortages of food and medicine.
Lantratova also said two people, including a mine-clearance specialist, had been killed while clearing the route. She said residents who chose to leave were expected to board evacuation transport by 2 p.m. on October 30, with aid distribution planned for later that day.