Ukrainian evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reunite with family

Starved and exhausted residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky have crossed into Ukraine in a major evacuation operation of civilians, under the first humanitarian truce of its kind in more than four years of Moscow's war.

Key points

• The six-day ceasefire covering the town was reached with mediation efforts by US First Lady Melania Trump and support from Pope Leo XIV.
• They first crossed Crimea by bus to the Russian town of Anapa before flying to Belarus, from where they crossed into Ukraine.
• Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region.
• Evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and reunited with family members.
• Another evacuee, Svitlana Yermakova, informed Reuters they had to eat grass to survive.

Notably, the six-day ceasefire covering the town was reached with mediation efforts by US First Lady Melania Trump and support from Pope Leo XIV. It is the longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

"Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need, " Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X, thanking the United States and the first lady for mediating.

"Further steps toward de-escalation and real progress toward peace are also needed, " he continued.

While residents from nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet them, ukrainian authorities met the evacuees with posters reading "You're not alone" and "We embrace with our hearts". Forced to eat grass.

Supply routes to Oleshky had been disrupted by fighting and drones. According to some residents, food deliveries were halted in May, pushing hundreds of residents into starvation.

One evacuee, an elderly man in a wheelchair, informed the Reuters news agency that he had lost 20kg (44lbs) over the past year, becoming so fragile he required hospital treatment.

"We chopped grass and squash. Just to hold on, " she remarked, adding that she risked riding by bicycle through minefields to a nearby village to secure food for herself and her dog.

To reach Ukrainian-held territory, Oleshky residents had to take a complicated route to leave the devastated town just a few kilometres from the front line.

Ambulances lined the street, and a number of substantial military tents were erected, where hot meals, tea and medical aid were provided.

Russian and Ukrainian authorities say the ceasefire in Oleshky has held since Tuesday, allowing them to de-mine the roads and bring food, medicines and other supplies into the town again. The truce is due to end on Sunday evening.

Some residents have decided to remain in Oleshky, despite the ongoing lack of gas, electricity and running water.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova remarked living conditions in the occupied Oleshky remained challenging, pledging she would continue to work with her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets, to support those who stayed.

"The mission has come to an end, " she remarked on Telegram. "We have agreed to carry out regular humanitarian missions, which is a very important step."

Oleshky had a pre-war population of regarding 24, 000. It plunged to an estimated 1, 700 before the evacuation.

Ukrainian authorities have not stated exactly how plenty of residents were evacuated or how numerous remained.

Despite the ceasefire in Oleshky, fighting rages on in other parts of the front, with Russia and Ukraine keeping up drone attacks against each other.

In short, ukrainian evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reunite with family is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.