In brief: Nearly 800 people were evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky during a humanitarian mission, according to US First Lady Melania Trump. After the truce ended on Nov. 1, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian forces had used the pause to rotate troops, strengthen positions, expand anti-drone protection and bring in ammunition. Sky News reported that drone footage showed Russian troops, vehicles and supplies moving in the area during the ceasefire.
Russian forces used the humanitarian ceasefire around occupied Oleshky to rotate troops, strengthen positions and bring in ammunition, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Monday, Nov. 2, after Melania Trump said nearly 800 people had been evacuated from the city during the truce.
In a report published Monday, Sky News said it reviewed drone footage recorded by a Ukrainian military unit monitoring Russian movements around Oleshky. The report showed Russian soldiers, military vehicles and supplies moving in the area during the ceasefire, which ran from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1.
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Footage shows movement during humanitarian pause
Sky News correspondent Stuart Ramsay was given access to the Ukrainian Marines’ drone reconnaissance command center. The broadcaster said the footage showed Russian troops and equipment moving along roads, soldiers carrying supplies and personnel entering buildings.
The report also cited Ukrainian military intelligence, which said one vehicle left a humanitarian convoy and went to supply Russian positions. Sky News said footage showed Russian soldiers carrying away boxes of food intended for civilians. The broadcaster reported that it had contacted Russia’s Defense Ministry for comment.
The General Staff’s statement did not refer to specific footage. It said Ukrainian forces had observed Russian units rotating, positions being fortified, anti-drone defenses being expanded along roads, and logistics increased, including ammunition deliveries.
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“The enemy, meanwhile, used the humanitarian pause to set up its positions,” the General Staff said.
Ukraine’s military said its forces had observed the agreed truce and acted within its terms. It said humanitarian supplies reached their destination and Ukrainian citizens who wanted to leave Oleshky returned to territory controlled by Kyiv.
Melania Trump says nearly 800 people evacuated
Melania Trump said in a Nov. 1 post on X that the mission delivered humanitarian aid and enabled the evacuation of nearly 800 people. She praised Ukraine and Russia for their “leadership and cooperation” and said she hoped the operation could help build lasting peace.
Her figure followed an earlier update on Oct. 30, when she said a convoy was prepared to evacuate more than 750 people who chose to leave. She said the convoy included 25 buses, 50 medical professionals and ambulances.
The nearly 800 figure is Trump’s reported total for the operation. It does not specify how many evacuees went to Ukrainian-controlled territory and how many chose Russia. Ukraine’s General Staff said those who wanted to leave for Ukraine had returned to territory controlled by Kyiv.
The truce was established to allow humanitarian aid into Oleshky and give residents a chance to leave. The city, in Russian-occupied Kherson region, had faced severe shortages of food, medicine and clean water. Ukrainian and Russian human rights commissioners coordinated the operation, with mediation by Trump.
ISW had warned of military risk
Before the ceasefire began, the Institute for the Study of War warned that Russia could use the pause to rebuild its forces in the Kherson region and questioned whether residents would be able to choose their destination freely.
The ceasefire was scheduled to end at 10:59 p.m. Kyiv time on Nov. 1. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the truce had ended after humanitarian aid was delivered and civilians who wanted to leave were evacuated. He said the Ukrainian and Russian sides had honored their commitments during the operation.
Kyiv Post previously reported that evacuees chose to travel either to Ukraine or Russia, with the Ukrainian delegation accompanying people heading to Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha later said those evacuees had crossed into Ukraine’s Chernihiv region.
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