By Islam El-Sakka
Civilians from the war-ravaged Ukrainian town of Oleshky arrived in Belarus on Saturday as part of a major rescue operation conducted under the most significant ceasefire since Russia’s full-scale invasion began 4½ years ago.
Evacuation Under Ceasefire
Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky, located on the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, began leaving in bus convoys on Friday. The localized truce started at 3 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to last through Sunday evening. About 2,000 remaining residents were offered the choice of traveling to Ukrainian-held territory, Russian-held territory, or staying in the city with replenished food and medical supplies.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said those choosing Ukrainian-held territory were transported to the Russian city of Anapa before boarding planes to the Belarusian city of Homel. They were accompanied by Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s commissioner for human rights. In Homel, rescue workers, medical teams and Red Cross volunteers met the group, according to Belarusian state media outlet Belta.
Ukrainian lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia said four planes carrying evacuees had landed in Belarus and the passengers would reach Ukrainian territory “within hours.” Russia’s ombudswoman Yana Lantratova said buses also transported residents who opted to live in Russia. Neither side specified how many people chose to leave.
The White House said U.S. first lady Melania Trump helped broker the localized truce, and she posted on social media Friday that the humanitarian convoy could safely evacuate more than 750 people. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, also pressed Russian and Ukrainian leaders to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
U.S. Approves Patriot Missile Sale
Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday welcomed U.S. approval of a proposed $2.1 billion sale of 500 PAC-3 Patriot interceptors for Ukraine. However, he urged partners to supply the weapons from existing stocks to protect the country this winter, warning the newly authorized sale could take years to deliver.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that Russian forces are attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure daily, with more than 30 strikes on critical power grid components in the first two weeks of October alone. The State Department said the missiles would be purchased with donations from Canada, Germany and Norway through a U.S. program, with no American funds involved.
