Main points:
- In Oleshky and five nearby settlements, there are about 6,000 adults and 200 Ukrainian children.
- Russia does not allow the evacuation of the civilian population, and there is a lack of food, medicine, and water in the area.
- On March 5, 2026, Lubinets first appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross with a demand for a humanitarian corridor.
- A new letter has been sent with a demand to ensure a ceasefire regime on July 3 from 9:00 to 18:00 for the evacuation.
- Russia has evacuated only part of the civilian population without a clear and transparent selection principle.
- The list of boarding school students in Oleshky has been handed over to the Russian side through intermediaries, and the return of all children is demanded, including those who have reached adulthood during the occupation.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets reported on the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky and called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to persuade the Russian side to conduct an urgent evacuation of the civilian population. According to him, this concerns approximately 6,000 adults and 200 Ukrainian children who are in an area where there is no food, medicine, and almost no water.
The Ombudsman recalled that he received information about the critical situation in February 2026 and on March 5, he first appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross with a demand to ensure a humanitarian corridor. “We received information about this situation in February 2026,” Lubinets said, adding that Russia does not allow the evacuation of civilians, including children, from Oleshky and five nearby settlements.
Today, Lubinets sent another letter to the International Committee of the Red Cross with a demand to persuade the Russian side to ensure a ceasefire regime on July 3 from 9:00 to 18:00 to conduct the evacuation of the civilian population. “If this is not done, in my opinion, the situation is not just a catastrophe, but civilians are dying every day,” the Ombudsman said.
According to Lubinets, Russia has evacuated only part of the civilian population, and the principle of selection remains unclear. “I do not know how they choose who to evacuate and who not to evacuate, who to leave behind. Therefore, we demand that the evacuation of all civilian citizens of Ukraine be carried out,” the Ombudsman emphasized, calling on the international community to pay attention to the situation and increase pressure on the Russian Federation.
Lubinets separately commented on the situation with the boarding school students in Oleshky. According to him, these are children aged 9 to 17 at the time of occupation, some of whom have already reached adulthood. “Any person who was a child at the time of the occupation, even if they have reached the age of 18, is still a child,” the Ombudsman stressed, noting that the demand for return applies to all students without exception. The list of children has already been handed over to the Russian side through intermediaries, and some students have been returned earlier.
Also read:
Over 6,000 people in occupied communities of Kherson region need evacuation – Ombudsman and ICRC are looking for safe routes
