On the morning of 29 October, a plane landed at Gomel airport. On board were representatives of the Russian delegation led by Igor Kashin, Deputy Head of the Special Projects Department of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia.

Around the same time, representatives of Ukraine arrived at the Novaya Guta checkpoint on the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The delegation was led by Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets and included Ukrainian and U. S. journalists. Wasting no time, the delegation headed to the Gomel airport. It is there that the meeting with their Russian counterparts and the departure for the next route of the humanitarian operation were scheduled.

Following a short drive from Novaya Guta, the Ukrainian representatives arrived at the airport. Full escort, security, and transport were provided by the Belarusian side.

Belarus joins humanitarian operation in Oleshky

The parties set a positive tone for the meeting right from the start: Igor Kashin and Dmitry Lubinets smiled as they exchanged handshakes and engaged in a brief conversation on the go. Given the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it was a truly symbolic moment. The conversation continued inside the airport terminal while they waited for the aircraft to be prepared for the upcoming flight.

Another symbolic moment was the departure of the Moscow and Kiev representatives on the exact same aircraft. The plane was also carrying foreign journalists and a Belarusian TV correspondent. Notably, Igor Kashin smiled as he let his Ukrainian counterpart board the plane first. The aircraft then immediately took off for the next point of the humanitarian operation in Oleshky.