Ukraine evacuees return from occupied Oleshky after mediated ceasefire

Hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have returned to territory controlled by Kyiv following an evacuation mission from the occupied southern town of Oleshky, completing an extensive transit through Russia and Belarus.

The operation took place under a temporary pause in fighting promoted by Pope Leo XIV and mediated with assistance from Melania Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the arrival of the evacuees, expressing appreciation to Trump for her coordination role and thanking the international community for keeping attention on the humanitarian plight in occupied regions. Trump stated on social media that the Oleshky mission demonstrated an ability to elevate humanity over conflict.

Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, traveled directly to Oleshky to oversee the evacuation, marking the first time a prominent Ukrainian official openly entered Russian-occupied territory and Russia since the invasion began. Lubinets reported conferring with Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova in Oleshky, noting that the successful dialogue offered a framework that officials hope to replicate for other communities lacking food and basic medicine.

Residents arriving at the northern border met waiting family members along with medical personnel. Healthcare workers from the Chernihiv Regional Hospital met the transport to provide immediate care, cautioning that severe and prolonged malnutrition among the evacuees requires monitored refeeding to prevent health complications. The teams also received individuals with physical trauma, stroke complications, and reduced mobility.

Departing residents described harsh conditions in Oleshky, where basic deliveries had halted earlier in the year. The southern town previously suffered extensive devastation from the 2023 breach of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, followed by protracted fighting that severed power, cooking fuel, and regular supply channels. Some returning civilians described subsisting on preserved canned food left behind in vacated residences or home-grown produce, while others had experienced dramatic weight loss during the occupation.

Because direct river crossings across the Dnipro into Ukrainian lines were blocked by extensive minefields and military wreckage, evacuees were routed over a circuitous path. After mine-clearing teams established a safe passage, the convoy moved through Russian-held Crimea to the Russian city of Anapa, where flights transferred them to Gomel in Belarus. From there, buses carried them across the border into Ukraine.

Not all residents elected to enter Ukrainian government-held territory. Authorities indicated that some locals chose to remain in the town despite the expiring truce and received emergency supplies, while another contingent relocated to a temporary facility in Simferopol on the Crimean peninsula.