In Oleshky, the Russians removed the bodies of those killed before the mission

Before launching a humanitarian mission in the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, the Russians cleared the streets of debris and removed the bodies of the dead. They likely did this to conceal the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in the town.

Hromadske reported this on October 30, citing several informed sources.

According to Oleksandra Knyha, head of the “Kryla Foundation” charity, who maintains contact with Oleshky residents and their families, locals noticed changes after the cleanup.

She said that during the first days of the ceasefire, people came to register at the hospital and were glad that the streets had finally been cleared of debris and the bodies of the dead. According to her, the city hadn’t seen such a cleanup in a very long time.

Mariam Lambert, CEO of the Emile Foundation, also reported, citing an Oleshky resident, that before the journalists arrived, the city’s streets were being cleaned and the curbs were being painted. According to him, all of this was done “for the cameras.”

Prior to this, Oleshky had been in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis for many months.

What is known about the mission

On October 23, U.S. First Lady Melania Trump stated that she had secured a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in Oleshky.

The ceasefire began on October 27 at 3:00 a.m. Kyiv time and will last until 10:59 p.m. on November 1.

On October 29, the demining of routes leading to the city was completed. The humanitarian convoy was scheduled to arrive at the central hospital in Oleshky, where plans were in place to organize the evacuation of those wishing to leave and the distribution of aid.

On October 30, a Ukrainian delegation led by Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Commissioner for Human Rights, arrived in the occupied city. People who wished to leave for territory controlled by Ukraine were given that opportunity.

That day, two convoys departed from Oleshky: one headed for Ukraine, the other for Russia. The exact number of evacuees in each direction has not been reported.

Those who chose to travel to territory controlled by Ukraine were first transported through occupied Crimea to Anapa, Russia. From there, they flew to Belarus.

On October 31, the last plane carrying evacuated Ukrainians landed in Belarus. The next stage of their journey is their return to Ukraine.

Ірина Глухова