During a ceasefire regime in the occupied town of Oleshky, Kherson region, the bodies of the deceased—both military personnel and civilians—were removed from the local morgue. According to RBC-Ukraine, this was stated by Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, during a press conference. According to him, the bodies of those whose relatives reside in Ukraine will be returned to the country under an agreement with the Russian side.
Repatriation on a "Monthly Basis"
Lubinets clarified that repatriation measures for bodies were carried out not only in Oleshky, but also in neighboring territories. «We currently have an agreement with the Russian side that all bodies whose relatives live in Ukraine will be delivered to Ukraine, just as we do on a monthly basis with the repatriation of our Heroes, fallen Heroines who defended our state,» the Ombudsman noted. Thus, the removal of bodies from the morgue was recorded as part of a coordinated humanitarian procedure rather than a one-time action.
Context: Resident Evacuation and Humanitarian Missions
Events in Oleshky are unfolding against the backdrop of local resident evacuations. As publications recall, on October 31, evacuated residents of the city arrived in Ukraine via Belarus: a humanitarian convoy transported over 750 people, the majority of whom went to Ukrainian-controlled territory, while some went to Russia. On the same day, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova stated that Moscow and Kiev had agreed to conduct regular humanitarian missions.
Sides' Positions Following the Operation
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Kyiv is ready to cease hostilities along all frontline sectors if Russia does the same, and suggested that the results in Oleshky could build trust and pave the way for further steps in the peace process. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, called the humanitarian operation in Oleshky successful and praised the coordination of participants, while noting that there are no plans yet to conduct similar operations. According to Russian media, the bodies of 47 dead civilians who had been stored in the basements of a local hospital for over six months were previously removed from Oleshky to Henichesk.
What is Visible in the Photo
A photo from the operation site shows several white sanitary vehicles with «AMBU» and «OMOGA» (humanitarian aid) inscriptions, the «Star of Life» emblem, and red stripes; the rear doors of the vehicles are open, and personnel in red and red-and-blue workwear with reflective stripes are working nearby. One of the vehicles displays the license plate KA 1760 EE. The image corresponds to the description of the medical and repatriation components of the humanitarian operation in Oleshky.
