Oleshky Evacuees Reunite with Families After Historic Truce Allows Crossing into Ukrainian Territory

Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky have been reunited with their families following the crossing into Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday.

The major rescue operation commenced on Friday and was conducted under the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four and a half years ago.

Wrapped in Ukrainian flags, evacuees disembarked buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border to be reunited with their families. Volunteers bearing hand-drawn welcome signs distributed coffee to the fatigued travelers who had journeyed by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Residents of nearby villages lined the highway, waving flags and torches to welcome the convoy.

Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian soldiers who assisted her in her escape. «We love them, we love them,» she said through tears. «We know that they are protecting us. And a deep bow to them, and a deep bow to their parents for having such children. I am proud, I am simply proud.»

The ceasefire in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region commenced early Tuesday and was anticipated to persist through Sunday evening. The White House noted that First Lady Melania Trump contributed to brokering the localized agreement, while Pope Leo XIV urged both Russia and Ukraine to permit aid deliveries and evacuations.

Relatives and volunteers from the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and World Central Kitchen greeted the evacuees upon their arrival at the border, prepared to deliver aid and food, including provisions for their pets.

Holding a cigarette between trembling fingers, 48-year-old Ivan Yevhenovych recounted his final months in Oleshky. «It was extremely difficult. There were numerous drone strikes, and navigating the streets became challenging,» he remarked. «Since the spring, there has been virtually no staple food remaining. Residents clung to small reserves. We are thrifty people.»

He described how landmines or relentless drone strikes continued to claim residents daily.

Approximately 2,000 individuals remained in Oleshky when the temporary truce came into effect. They were given the option of being evacuated to either Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or staying in the city with restored food and medical supplies.

«Many residents chose to stay,» Yevhenovych stated. «Some left behind for their homes, others prioritized their animals.»

Ukrainian authorities, aiming to protect those who remained and safeguard future humanitarian operations, have not disclosed the exact number of Oleshky residents who evacuated and have limited details regarding their route. Melania Trump announced on Friday via social media that the humanitarian convoy could safely evacuate over 750 individuals.

Liza Paliy, 19, waited at the border for her father, whom she had not seen in more than two and a half years during her flight from the occupied city with her mother and sister. «We believed it would take only a month, perhaps two, and we would return, but unfortunately, two years have already elapsed,» she said.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, praised the humanitarian mission as a significant achievement.

«This is an incredibly important moment. Behind us lie difficult negotiations, agreements, preparations, and a vast amount of effort. Most importantly, the residents who waited so long to be rescued are finally safe,» he declared in an online post.

Lubinets noted that the evacuees spanned ages from just over one year old to 94, and they accompanied pets such as dogs, cats, a parrot, and a raccoon. He expressed hope that the Oleshky truce could be extended elsewhere, suggesting it could establish a new framework for addressing the most challenging humanitarian crises.

Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, stated that both parties have agreed to conduct regular humanitarian missions in and around Oleshky. Lubinets did not comment on this development.

«The mission has concluded, but, regrettably, living conditions in Oleshky remain extremely challenging,» she said. «We will strive to support residents who have chosen to remain.»

Certain Oleshky evacuees who opted for relocation to Russian-occupied territory were transferred to a temporary shelter in Simferopol, Lantratova explained. The city is situated on the Crimean peninsula, an area Moscow annexed in 2014.

«After enduring unimaginable hardship and a prolonged journey, these individuals need rest, recovery, and compassionate care. Nevertheless, assistance should extend beyond mere shelter and sustenance,» she asserted in a social media post.

A Ukrainian drone strike resulted in the deaths of a 30-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man in Russia’s western Bryansk region, according to Local Governor Yegor Kovalchuk. Five additional individuals sustained injuries, he reported.

Local officials also reported Ukrainian drone strikes within Russia’s Bashkortostan republic. State media indicated a fire broke out in the capital city, Ufa, an area housing multiple oil refineries.

The Russian defence ministry confirmed on Saturday that its forces had intercepted 433 Ukrainian drones overnight.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia launched drone assaults on Ukraine’s energy and railway sectors overnight, leaving 280,000 households in Dnipro and the Kyiv region without electricity.

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