Evacuation begins from occupied Oleshky
Buses began taking residents out of the devastated Russian-occupied town under a local ceasefire, with Ukrainian and Russian officials on the ground together.
Developing story. Details may change as more information is confirmed.
An evacuation of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky began on Friday under a local ceasefire, Russian and Ukrainian officials confirmed. The truce, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump, has held across the Kherson front-line region since Tuesday and allowed the road out of town to be cleared of mines.
A convoy of 25 buses, along with ambulances, was brought in to carry up to 750 people during a four-hour window. Residents could choose to go to Russian-held territory or to Ukraine. Those heading to Ukraine face a long detour: a trip through Russian-held land, a flight from southern Russia to Belarus and then a drive across the border, even though Ukrainian-held territory lies only about 5 km away.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, and his Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, entered the town together. Lubinets is the first Ukrainian official to visit Russian-occupied territory since the full-scale invasion began. Several hundred residents are expected to stay despite heavy destruction and no gas, electricity or running water; officials say they will receive aid.
The ceasefire is due to last until the end of Sunday. The Kremlin said its success should not be read as a sign that the truce will be extended to the rest of Ukraine, and some Kherson residents fear Russian forces could use the pause to build up along the Dnipro River. This is a developing story.
This summary is original reporting by tehworldnews, written after checking the facts against several major international news outlets and official statements.