Evacuation corridor opens in occupied Oleshky as hundreds choose to stay

An evacuation corridor has opened in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, allowing residents to leave during a four-hour window, though several hundred people have chosen to stay despite the lack of gas, electricity, and running water. A US-brokered ceasefire, negotiated by First Lady Melania Trump, has been in force in the Kherson frontline region since Tuesday, enabling the road out of Oleshky to be demined. An evacuation convoy of 25 buses and ambulances can transport up to 750 people to Russian-controlled territory, then onward via plane to Belarus and into Ukraine's Chernihiv region. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova visited Oleshky on Friday, with residents offered a choice of destination. Russia has prepared aid for those staying, while some locals refuse to leave due to concerns about pets or elderly family members. The ceasefire runs until Sunday, 1 November.