Ukraine withholds Oleshky evacuation figures under deal with Russia, ombudsman says

Speaking at a news conference following the humanitarian mission, Lubinets said neither side would officially reveal how many residents had traveled to Ukrainian-controlled areas, moved to Russian-controlled territory or remained in Oleshky.

He said he did not want the operation to turn into a competition over which side had received more people.

US First Lady Melania Trump, who helped facilitate the mission, previously said nearly 800 people had been evacuated from Oleshky in total.

Bodies recovered, evacuees receive assistance

Lubinets also said the operation had recovered the bodies of dead civilians and service members from a hospital and morgue in Oleshky and nearby areas.

He said an agreement was in place for the bodies of those whose relatives live in Ukraine to be returned through established repatriation procedures. He did not provide a timeline or specify how many bodies had been recovered.

Ukrainians who returned from Oleshky were taken to medical facilities, while a dedicated team involving several government agencies is coordinating their care, Lubinets said.

The evacuation also brought 105 animals out of the occupied town, including dogs, cats and four parrots.

"As far as I know, everyone is happy to be in Ukraine," Lubinets said, adding that he receives daily updates on the evacuees' health and needs.

How the ceasefire was arranged

The humanitarian mission took place during a temporary ceasefire around Oleshky and neighboring settlements in southern Ukraine's Kherson Oblast, from October 27 through November 1.

Lubinets said Ukraine and Russia had reached written agreements not to move additional military equipment into the area during the operation.

He also addressed footage published by Sky News showing Russian military vehicles and personnel moving near Oleshky during the ceasefire.

According to Lubinets, the vehicles visible in the footage were marked with red crosses and were being used to clear mines from evacuation routes under Ukrainian monitoring. He said they later returned to their original positions.

Ukraine's General Staff had separately said Russian forces used the ceasefire to rotate troops, move ammunition and reinforce positions.

Lubinets said representatives of both sides had reported no ceasefire violations during the mission. His explanation of the vehicles did not independently establish whether other Russian military movements had occurred.

New center planned for civilians in occupied territories

Following the mission, Ukraine's Ombudsman's Office plans to establish a dedicated center to help return civilians from Russian-occupied territories.

Relatives of people still living under occupation or detained by Russia will be able to seek assistance, Lubinets said. The center is expected to work on return procedures, document violations of international humanitarian law and coordinate social, medical and psychological support.

Lubinets acknowledged that insufficient funding remains a challenge.

The Oleshky mission followed a humanitarian crisis in the Russian-occupied town. Residents who agreed to leave were flown to Gomel, Belarus, before traveling by bus to Ukraine, crossing the border on October 31.