More than 60 animals evacuated from occupied Oleshky during humanitarian mission

01.11.2026, 22:09 rubryka.com

Krasnokutska said the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights coordinated the animals' return as part of the humanitarian mission. UAnimals was brought in to assist with the evacuation only on October 30, so the procedures had to be organized quickly. Despite this, more than 60 animals were rescued, most of them cats and dogs. She said all the evacuated animals were alive but extremely weakened. The final number of animals rescued is still being confirmed.

"We will be able to give the exact number later, once we have completed compiling the electronic register of the animals we managed to take into our care and send to veterinary clinics for examinations," said the head of UAnimals' in-house media department.

The organization dispatched two teams to meet the vehicle transporting the evacuated animals. The teams included specialists from the rescue department and a veterinarian.

"We were given an estimated number, but of course, we didn't know for certain. We also didn't know how they would be transported or whether they would travel with people or in a separate vehicle. We knew nothing, but were prepared for different scenarios. … We brought food, carriers, water bowls, water, leashes, and hay because we genuinely didn't know what kinds of animals they would be, what condition they would be in, or what they might need," the department head said.

Krasnokutska noted that coordination with the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights' Office is ongoing. After veterinary examinations and health assessments, animals that have owners will be returned to their families.

"We need a few more days to assess the animals' condition together with veterinarians. We will do everything we can, to the greatest extent possible, to ensure the animals return to their families and their people," Krasnokutska said.

What is known about the humanitarian mission and the ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky

On October 23, 2026, an agreement to conduct a humanitarian mission in Oleshky was officially confirmed. International humanitarian mediation was provided by US First Lady Melania Trump and her team. The agreement was confirmed on the Ukrainian side by Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets and on the Russian side by Russia's human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova. Lubinets headed the Ukrainian negotiating team responsible for implementing the mission, while his Russian counterpart, Lantratova, led the Russian side.

As previously reported, a Ukrainian delegation arrived in temporarily Russian-occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region on October 30 to carry out a humanitarian mission. Under the agreement between the Ukrainian and Russian sides, the evacuation route for Oleshky residents ran through Russia and Belarus, after which they entered Ukraine.

The route was necessary due to the security situation along the front line. Relevant restrictions are in place, and there is no route across the river because the area is mined and lies directly adjacent to the front line.

On October 31, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky had crossed the Ukrainian border in Chernihiv region. On the Ukrainian side, around 50 Red Cross ambulances were waiting for the residents of Oleshky, along with representatives of Médecins Sans Frontières and volunteers tasked with evacuating animals. Several tents had also been set up to provide people with hot meals, tea, and coffee. Ambulances and specialized buses were available for people in more serious condition. Law enforcement officers were present, and rescuers were on duty at the site.