Konstantin Melnik, who had led a local school, died in the town, known in Ukrainian as Alioshky, said Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky city military administration, in comments to Ukrinform.

Hasanenko said she knew of the death secondhand, adding that her administration has little information about conditions in the community. "There, in the community, terrible events continue to happen," she said.

She also said the administration has received reports that humanitarian aid delivered to Oleshky during the mission is not reaching residents. Those who managed to receive it describe a minimal food package that would not last a week. The administration cannot verify the reports.

The local ceasefire was in effect from October 27 to November 1. During that period, military personnel demined a road, delivered humanitarian aid to the town and evacuated several hundred people. Fifteen buses left Oleshky: 11 for Ukraine and four for Russia. Those evacuated were mostly elderly people and people with disabilities.

Some residents did not leave. According to Hasanenko, some hid in basements without communications and did not know about the evacuation, while others feared filtration screening. She said mobility-impaired citizens were not brought to assembly points, and several people waiting on the highway gave up and left, deciding the buses had already passed.

Melania Trump, who mediated the humanitarian mission, called it a success and reported the evacuation of nearly 800 people. Yana Lantratova, Russia's presidential commissioner for human rights, said "far fewer" than 750 people left Oleshky. Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the sides agreed not to disclose how many of those evacuated returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory and how many chose to stay in Russia.

According to Lubinets, about 2,000 residents remained in the town in 2026. Before the Russia-Ukraine war, about 20,000 people lived in Oleshky. The town has been under Russian occupation since 2022.

Melania Trump is due to meet representatives of Russia and Ukraine to review the operation. According to RBC-Ukraine, Lubinets and Davyd Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People faction, will attend for the Ukrainian side, and Lantratova and Putin's special representative Kirill Dmitriev for the Russian side.

Accounts differ: Melania Trump reported the evacuation of nearly 800 people, while Lantratova says "far fewer" than 750 residents left the town.