Pro-War Blogger Vanishes From Public After Telegram Post About Oleshky Evacuation

Nov. 5, 2026 Vladimir Romanov. Social media Popular pro-war military blogger Vladimir Romanov has stopped posting online after suggesting that last month’s ceasefire and humanitarian mission in the occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky were unfavorable for Russia. Romanov, who runs the Telegram channel “Romanov Lite” with more than 150,000 subscribers, has gone silent since Saturday, Oct. 31. Last Friday, the Russian blogger posted and then later deleted a message on his channel that said only four buses filled with residents from Oleshky had departed for Russia during the ceasefire, as opposed to 17 buses that carried evacuees to Ukrainian territory. “On TV, they’ll most likely show more of our buses, but the windows will be completely curtained off,” the since-deleted message read. Romanov’s claim roughly corresponded to reporting by Newsmax journalist Alex Salvi, who also said just four buses filled with Oleshky residents went to Russia, suggesting that few in the war-torn town are sympathetic to Moscow. The whereabouts of Romanov, who is normally based in the annexed Crimean city of Sevastopol, remain unknown as of Thursday evening. Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantranova acknowledged earlier this week that, while Russian authorities prepared enough buses to evacuate up to 750 civilians from Oleshky, many returned largely empty. Lantranova’s Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets, said Russia and Ukraine agreed not to disclose the number of Oleshky residents who used the ceasefire as an opportunity to leave the town. The Oct. 27-Nov. 1 ceasefire in and around Oleshky, which was credited to U.S. first lady Melania Trump, allowed emergency aid to reach the town and facilitated civilian evacuations. Read more about: Blogger Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russian Pro-War Blogger Accused of Laundering Money Meant for Soldiers Roman Alyokhin briefly served as an adviser to former Kursk region Governor Alexi Smirnov, who was arrested earlier this year on fraud charges and is currently... 2 Min read Pro-War Blogger Polynkov Arrested in Moscow Mikhail Polynkov is a close associate of jailed ex-separatist commander Igor Girkin, and runs the Telegram channel “Soldier’s Truth.” 2 Min read Russian Military Blogger Jailed for Criticizing Armed Forces The former soldier accused Russia of cutting off water access to civilians near the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih and of bombing a maternity hospital. 1 Min read Russia Charges Blogger Varlamov With ‘Discrediting’ Army Ilya Varlamov, who runs a YouTube channel with over 5 million subscribers, has publicly criticized Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 1 Min read