Ukraine's rights chief: Oleshky evacuation never crossed straight into Kherson, and that was the point

Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has shut down any suggestion that civilians fleeing occupied Oleshky could have been moved directly across the river into Kherson. Speaking at a press conference on 2 November, he said the route was never even proposed on the Ukrainian side — the front line runs through it, and thinning out Ukraine's defences is not a price Kyiv will pay. "We will definitely not do anything that will weaken the defence of Ukraine," he said.

The commissioner said the warning came from the military itself. He recounted being told not to entertain a Russian proposal to clear mines and open a crossing from Oleshky straight to Kherson, because the front line sits there. Lubinets said that option was ruled out from the start.

Instead, the evacuation logistics were built alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and military intelligence, with input from Ukrainians who had already escaped the occupied city on their own. Two things drove every decision, according to Lubinets: the safety of the people and speed.

For those who stayed behind, a different track is running. Lubinets said Ukraine and Russia are in direct communication about making humanitarian deliveries to Oleshky systematic, with talks under way on getting supplies in at least once a month. "We directly agreed on this," he said, framing the shipments as a survival line for residents who decided not to leave.

He did not say how many people chose to remain in the town, but stressed that those who stayed personally assured him the decision was theirs. Deliveries so far have included food, water, medicines, fuel for generators and specialised equipment — some of it aimed at the town's hospital, which is still operating.

The arrangement has drawn wider attention as a local ceasefire that could test whether a broader deal is possible. For now, Lubinets' message is that the route out of Oleshky was chosen by Kyiv, not Moscow, and the defence line came first.