Oleshky evacuees: First patients leave hospital
Dmytro Lubinets confirms that displaced residents are moving to relatives while authorities organize transport for those without housing.
By Jonathan Reed ·
The first residents of Oleshky to leave the hospital have been discharged and moved in with relatives. This marks the initial step in a larger process for several hundred people who were pulled from the city during a recent humanitarian operation. The remaining evacuees are still receiving medical, social, and psychological support.
Upon reaching Ukrainian-controlled territory, the evacuees received basic necessities such as phones, clothing, and hygiene products. Medical staff helped them secure bank cards, tax identification numbers, and IDs. Employees from administrative service centers visited the group to issue certificates confirming their status as internally displaced persons. Pension Fund experts also assisted with housing allowances.
For residents who cannot stay with family, temporary accommodation has been arranged. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that transport to preferred regions will begin on November 9. Specific arrangements are currently being made for individuals with limited mobility.
Lubinets emphasized that the goal was to provide care beyond just rescue. "The work to support these people is ongoing. We needed to not only get them out of danger but also to ensure they received further care," he said. He also expressed gratitude for the public response to the situation.
The evacuation followed a ceasefire in the Oleshky area that took effect on the night of October 26. On October 30, residents traveled to Russian territory and were flown to Belarus the next day. They crossed back into Ukraine by bus, bringing their animals with them. Ukrainian defense forces confirmed that 167 people were evacuated from the right bank of Kherson Oblast during this window.
While the humanitarian operation focused on moving civilians, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces used the pause to rotate units. They also strengthened anti-drone defenses and expanded logistics capabilities in the area.
