Civilians begin evacuation from besieged Oleshky in first joint Russian-Ukrainian relief operation

Summary

A humanitarian aid convoy carrying both Russian and Ukrainian officials entered Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine that is held by Russia and lies on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River, opposite Kherson. The city has suffered months of serious food and medical shortages, with warnings of starvation for the few thousand people remaining there, including about 50 children. Civilians were evacuated on Friday, October 30, as part of the joint relief operation, the first of its kind in four years and eight months of war. Deutsche Welle reported that under a local ceasefire, a convoy of 25 buses brought humanitarian aid and transported fleeing residents.

Timeline

1. Al Jazeera

   30 Oct 2026, 14:19 UTCSource ↗

   A humanitarian aid convoy containing both Russian and Ukrainian officials entered the besieged Ukrainian city of Oleshky.

2. The Guardian

   30 Oct 2026, 17:13 UTCSource ↗

   People living in the besieged Russian-held city of Oleshky were evacuated on Friday as part of a joint relief operation, the first of its kind in four years and eight months of war, after months of food and medical shortages and warnings of starvation for the few thousand people left, including about 50 children.

3. Deutsche Welle

   30 Oct 2026, 20:09 UTCSource ↗

   Under a local ceasefire, an aid convoy of 25 buses arrived in Oleshky with humanitarian aid and as transport for fleeing residents of the Ukrainian city, which Russia has occupied since 2022 and where food shortages persist.