Hungry and exhausted residents of Oleshky arrive in Ukraine after months of isolation, but some are left behind. Hungry and exhausted residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky have crossed into Ukraine in a major civilian evacuation operation, under Moscow’s first such humanitarian truce in more than four years of war. The six-day ceasefire covering the city was reached with the mediation efforts of US first lady Melania Trump and the help of Pope Leo XIV. It is the longest local pause in fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022. Recommended Stories 3-item listend list “Ukrainian citizens of Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in X, thanking the United States and the first lady for mediating. They are also needed,” he added. Evacuees draped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukraine-Belarus border and were reunited with their families. Ukrainian officials greeted the evacuees with signs reading “You are not alone” and “We hug each other with our hearts,” while residents of nearby villages lined the road waving flags and lanterns to greet them. According to some residents, food deliveries stopped in May, pushing hundreds of people to famine. One evacuee, an elderly man in a wheelchair, told the Reuters news agency that he had lost 20 kg (44 pounds) over the past year, becoming so weak that he required hospital treatment. Another evacuee, Svitlana Yermakova, told Reuters that they had to eat grass to survive. to get food for herself and her dog. To reach Ukrainian-controlled territory, the residents of Oleshky had to take a complicated route to leave the devastated town just a few kilometers from the front line. They first crossed Crimea by bus to the Russian city of Anapa before flying to Belarus, from where they crossed into Ukraine. Ambulances lined the street and several large military tents were set up, where they were provided with hot food, tea and medical assistance. The ceasefire in Oleshky has been in place since Tuesday, allowing them to clear roads and bring food, medicine and other supplies into the city again. The truce will end on Sunday afternoon. Some residents have decided to remain in Oleshky, despite the continued lack of gas, electricity and running water. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said living conditions in occupied Oleshky remained difficult and promised that she would continue working with her Ukrainian counterpart. Dmytro. Lubinets, to help those who remained. “The mission has come to an end,” he said on Telegram. “We have agreed to carry out regular humanitarian missions, which is a very important step.” Before the war, Oleshky had a population of about 24,000, which was reduced to about 1,700 before the evacuation. Ukrainian officials have not said exactly how many residents were evacuated or how many remained. Oleshky, fighting continues elsewhere on the front, with Russia and Ukraine carrying out drone attacks on each other.
