Ukraine's human rights commissioner: As Russia stalls on evacuation from occupied Oleshky, people are walking through mined fields to try to escape

Ukrainian Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has said that after a considerable time, Russia has failed to confirm that it is prepared to organise a humanitarian mission to evacuate civilians from Oleshky, a settlement in the grey zone on the left bank of the Dnipro River near Kherson.

Source: Dmytro Lubinets

Quote from Lubinets: "Following the negotiations, the Russian side has failed to confirm for a long time now that it is prepared to carry out a humanitarian mission to evacuate people.

But our Office continues to collect and verify information, and to work together with the International Committee of the Red Cross, international organisations and the relevant Ukrainian state agencies.

We also continue to insist that the Russian side urgently evacuate the people who are effectively trapped in the grey zone. These are civilians who face the daily threat of attacks and drone strikes and have been left without food, drinking water, medicines and other essentials."

Details: Lubinets said agreements were reached earlier with the Russian side and clear procedures have been established. A list of the people to be evacuated has also been agreed on.

Quote: "We have done the necessary work with the security and defence forces to ensure a ceasefire during the humanitarian mission."

More details: Lubinets also said the Human Rights Commissioner's Office has verified 358 people who urgently need help to evacuate safely.

Quote: "And these are only the people we have been able to identify. Based on the population of Oleshky and the surrounding district, there could be more than 6,000 people still there, including about 200 children.

The most terrifying thing is that people are now trying to leave on their own, walking through mined fields, because they see no other way out of this hell. They risk being blown up by a mine or hit by a drone, but they are going anyway, because staying in Oleshky would be even worse for them."

Background: It was reported in June that around 6,000 residents, including 182 children, remained in the Oleshky hromada , in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson Oblast.

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