Oleshky evacuees cross into Ukraine and reunite with families

· Security · Ukraine · Russia

Hundreds of starving and exhausted residents of Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in southern Ukraine, left the city on Friday during a six-day local ceasefire and crossed into Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday, reuniting with relatives who lined the highway waving flags. The truce was reached after mediation by US First Lady Melania Trump and with the pope's help, and was described as the longest humanitarian pause in the war, now nearing its fifth year. Evacuees said they had been without food, water and electricity, with many resorting to cooking garden weeds to survive. The operation involved buses and ambulances and passed through Belarus before reaching the northern Ukrainian border.

Why it matters：The evacuation is a rare humanitarian success in a war where local truces have repeatedly collapsed, and it could serve as a template for future negotiated pauses.

Key points

  • The six-day truce was mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump with help from the pope.
  • Evacuees travelled through Belarus before crossing into Ukrainian-held territory.
  • Residents said they had survived without food, water and electricity for an extended period.

Sources (original reporting)

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