How are residents being evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky, according to the BBC Global News Podcast?

On the BBC Global News Podcast of 30 October 2026, Celia Hatton reported that a temporary ceasefire, brokered in part by Melania Trump and Pope Leo, opened a four-hour evacuation window. Journalist Zarina Zabriskie said 750 seats on 25 buses plus ambulances were available. BBC Monitoring's Vitaly Shevchenko said evacuees go first to Anapa in southern Russia, then fly to Homel in Belarus before entering Ukraine.

• The ceasefire also allowed mines to be cleared and aid convoys to enter Oleshky.
• Russian and Ukrainian delegations were due to hand out aid to residents who chose to stay.
• Many Ukrainians and officials distrust the plan because evacuees cannot simply cross the river to Kherson.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-10-30). Read the whole episode summary →

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