Hundreds of residents evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky arrived in northern Ukraine on Saturday after crossing through Russian territory, southern Russia, and Belarus. The evacuation followed a humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region that took effect earlier in the week, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump.
Oleshky has been under Russian control since February 2022. The city sits between the Dnipro River on one side and Russian forces on the other, trapping residents. A convoy of 25 buses transported up to 750 evacuees. Up to 6,000 people, including 200 children, were believed to remain in Oleshky and surrounding areas.
Residents described severe deprivation. Supplies dwindled to the point that some people cooked garden weeds to survive. Earlier this month, residents attempted to cross minefields to find food. "People were stepping on mines, dying and being maimed, all just to survive," evacuee Olha told the BBC.
Evacuees reunited with family members they had not seen for years. Upon arrival at a military facility in Chernihiv, some elderly residents were so weak they required stretchers. Mykhailo Palii described shelling and drone and missile attacks in the city that he had not mentioned to his family because he feared they would worry.
Evacuee Tetiana said her entire home burned down three years ago and she had been living in an abandoned neighbor's house since. Those who escaped now face finding new places to live and rebuilding their lives, with many lacking family connections elsewhere in Ukraine.