Evacuees from Oleshky reach safety as truce holds

· Security · Ukraine

Refugees from the besieged southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have returned to free Ukrainian territory and reunited with family members, Bloomberg reported, after a rare local truce allowed residents to leave. The six-day ceasefire was reached with mediation by US First Lady Melania Trump and help from the pope. The town has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and was caught in intense fighting that left residents starving. The evacuation operation involved buses and ambulances and passed through Belarus.

Why it matters：The operation shows that localized humanitarian truces can work even in a war where broader ceasefires have failed, offering a possible model for future evacuations.

Key points

  • The six-day truce was mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump with the pope's help.
  • Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2022.
  • Evacuees travelled through Belarus before reaching Ukrainian-held territory.

Sources (original reporting)

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