In brief
Ukraine’s General Staff announced the evacuation of 167 civilians, including children and people with limited mobility, from threatened areas in southern Kherson. The move came two days after a six‑day truce in the town of Oleshky—brokered with help from Melania Trump and Pope Leo—had been extended, but was due to expire at midnight Moscow time. Russian officials praised the coordination, while Ukrainian officials urged caution as the ceasefire ends.
On Sunday, Ukrainian forces evacuated 167 civilians from exposed areas of the southern Kherson region as a local ceasefire in Oleshky was set to expire at midnight Moscow time, according to the Ukrainian General Staff’s telegram.
Units of civil‑military cooperation from the “South” group, working with local authorities, transferred the evacuees—22 children and 21 people with limited mobility—to safer locations within the Kherson region. The General Staff’s statement said the operation was carried out “in coordination with representatives of local authorities.”
The ceasefire, which had been in place for six days, was reached after mediation efforts by US first lady Melania Trump and the involvement of Pope Leo. Both the Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov and the pope have said the evacuation complied with the agreed terms, and Peskov added that Russia was pleased with the coordination between the two countries’ human‑rights commissioners.
Melania Trump, writing on X, said the “truce has provided residents with the freedom to move, access to food, clean water, medicine, plus a renewed sense of dignity without the constant threat of attack.” The pope echoed this by hoping the cooperation in Oleshky “would pave the way for broader peace efforts.”
Governor Oleksandr Prokudin of Kherson warned residents to stay vigilant as the ceasefire nears expiration, cautioning against entering “red zones” near the Dnipro where Russian strikes remain intense. The ceasefire had been holding without violations since Tuesday, according to both Ukrainian and Russian officials, allowing de‑mining and the delivery of goods into the town.
The evacuation came after residents of Oleshky had crossed into Ukraine via a circuitous route that began with buses through Crimea, flights to Belarus, and then onward into Ukrainian territory. The process involved 25 buses and nine ambulances before the convoys split into separate groups.
