Ukrainian evacuees reunite with families after escaping Russian-occupied Oleshky
People evacuated from the devastated city crossed from Belarus into Chernihiv following a local ceasefire.
Evacuees from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky crossed from Belarus into the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv on Saturday, according to BBC News. The group included people ranging in age from one to 94 years, according to Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
The evacuation followed a humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson frontline region that began on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked US First Lady Melania Trump for her efforts in brokering the local ceasefire that allowed the evacuation on Friday.
The residents had been trapped in the city without food, water, or electricity, with some resorting to cooking garden weeds to survive. The convoy included 25 buses and several ambulances for those with limited mobility, such as elderly residents carried on stretchers.
To reach safety, evacuees travelled through Russian-occupied territory to southern Russia, flew to Belarus, and were then driven across the northern Ukrainian border. The ceasefire allowed the road out of Oleshky to be cleared of mines and enabled the delivery of humanitarian aid.
President Zelensky stated on X that all evacuees will receive necessary assistance and urged government and local authorities to help them adapt. Lubinets, who visited Oleshky on Friday, said those who chose to stay in the city will also receive humanitarian assistance.
