Oleshky Evacuees Reunite with Family After Six‑Day Ceasefire

Residents of the Russian‑occupied town of Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian territory after a six‑day ceasefire mediated by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, and were reunited with family members at an undisclosed location, Al Jazeera reports. The truce, the longest local pause in fighting since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022, followed months of disrupted supply routes that forced locals to eat grass and travel long distances for food and medicine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that “Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need,” adding that “Further steps toward de‑escalation and real progress toward peace are also needed.”

Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need.

Ukrainian officials greeter evacuees with posters that read “You’re not alone” and “We embrace with our hearts,” while residents from nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights. Some evacuees, exhausted and starving, travelled a complex route that took them through Crimea and Belarus before entering Ukraine, where ambulances and large tents provided hot meals, tea and medical aid.

In a separate Reuters‑reported interview, an elderly man in a wheelchair said he had lost 20 kg (44 lbs) over the past year and required hospital treatment. Another evacuee, Svitlana Yermakova, told Reuters that she and her dog had to chop grass and bicycle through minefields to obtain food. The latest truce has reportedly held since Tuesday, allowing de‑mining efforts and the re‑introduction of food and medical supplies into Oleshky.