Demining the area, fighting hunger: The secret operation in Ołeszki continues

The local truce in Oleski in southern Ukraine in the Kherson Oblast has been in place for a second day. It came into force from 3 Kiev time on October 27, i.e. from 4 Moscow time and 2 Polish time.

There is growing hope that the necessary help will be delivered to the residents cut off from the world, and those willing to be evacuated, although preparatory work is currently underway, as the only road out of the city and the river are mined by the Russians. Many streets are also mined, so additional measures will be necessary to ensure the safety of routes within the city.

It is estimated that there are approximately 2,000 people in the city occupied by Russian forces. people, including 200 children, of whom approximately 50 are severely malnourished. There is a shortage of medicines in the city, there is no electricity, many inhabitants are starving and forced to eat plants. There is a mortuary nearby, from which bodies that the Russians did not allow to be buried need to be retrieved.

Situation 'entirely in the hands of the military'

Myroslava Kharchenko, a lawyer from the Save Ukraine foundation, told DW about what is currently happening in Oleski.

What happens in the town itself is entirely in the hands of the army. All people involved in this operation have been asked to maintain strict confidentiality. Any careless comment or action could jeopardize the success of the entire evacuation, said Myroslava Kharchenko.

From my observations, information is actively collected through closed, internal chat groups. Registration lists and application forms are available, which interested people can complete on their own. Organizers are contacting people who previously reported their intention to evacuate to verify details such as date of birth and current place of stay. They also ask for contact details of neighbors or relatives who may be nearby or in the same building, due to the fact that the connection is extremely unstable, Kharchenko told Deutsche Welle.

The organizers also collect information about the health of people planning the trip.

These include people who are sick, have limited mobility or are recovering from recent injuries, including injuries caused by explosions or mines. We therefore expect that those organizing the evacuation will provide access to medical assistance for those who need it, she added.

How exactly should the evacuation proceed?

Deutsche Welle asked Myroslava Kharchenko whether people would be evacuated through Russian-controlled territory or perhaps by water - across the Dnieper? Have any routes been agreed yet?

To our knowledge, the river route would be extremely dangerous. We have not received any confirmation that this option has been approved. It is therefore likely that the evacuation route will lead through temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and possibly through Russia before people manage to reach Ukraine. However, for security reasons, these details are not made public, the lawyer said.