By Karim Hammam
Three planes carrying evacuated residents from the Russian-controlled Ukrainian town of Oleshky landed at Gomel airport in Belarus on Saturday, completing the first joint humanitarian operation between the warring sides in four years and eight months of conflict. The evacuees, who wish to reach Ukrainian-held territory, traveled by bus through Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa before flying to Belarus and will cross into northern Ukraine via a border crossing.
Oleshky Evacuation Operation
An estimated 2,000 remaining residents of Oleshky were offered the choice of traveling to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or staying with replenished supplies. The convoy included 25 buses, ambulances and other vehicles. Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets described the mission as unique and hoped the model could aid other stranded communities. Russia's ombudswoman Yana Lantratova said buses also transported residents choosing to live in Russia. The White House said First Lady Melania Trump helped broker the localized truce.
US Patriot Missile Sale Approved
The US State Department approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated $2.1 billion, one of the Trump administration's most significant defensive weapons transfers to Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision but warned deliveries may not begin for years, urging the US and partners to provide interceptors from existing stockpiles to counter daily Russian ballistic missile attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
Novaya Gazeta Shuts Down
Russia's flagship independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta announced its closure, citing years of state pressure targeting its journalists critical of the Kremlin and the Ukraine war. Nobel Prize-winning founder Dmitry Muratov said the shutdown was part of a giant military campaign waged by the Russian Federation.
G20 Confrontation
At the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband directly told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that "we all know you are the aggressor" in Ukraine, adding that Moscow was not winning due to Ukrainian courage and allied solidarity.
Continued Fighting and Casualties
Fighting persisted elsewhere. A Russian drone strike on Shostka in Ukraine's Sumy region killed one woman and injured eight, while Ukrainian drones hit a private home in Russia's Bryansk region, killing two and injuring five. Ukraine's General Staff reported Russian troop losses of 1,588,180 since the invasion began. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has privately asked NATO allies including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to soften public rhetoric about the Russian threat.
