Hundreds evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky via Belarus to Ukraine
BBC News reports hundreds left Russian-occupied Oleshky via Belarus for Chernihiv under a US-brokered Kherson ceasefire window; evacuees describe hardship.
The story in focus
BBC News reports hundreds of residents were evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky through Belarus to Ukraine's Chernihiv region on Saturday, after a US-brokered humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region opened a four-hour departure window. Evacuees described severe hardship under occupation and emotional reunions with relatives.
- Hundreds of Oleshky residents crossed into northern Ukraine via Belarus on Saturday, BBC News reports.
- The evacuation followed a US-brokered humanitarian ceasefire, brokered by First Lady Melania Trump, that took effect in the Kherson region.
- Residents had a four-hour window on Friday, with 25 buses provided for up to 750 evacuees.
- Up to 6,000 people, including 200 children, were believed to remain in Oleshky and surrounding areas, with 1,700 in the city itself.
- Some evacuees were carried on stretchers; others described cooking garden weeds to survive.
A four-hour window out of Oleshky
Oleshky was seized by Russia in the first days of its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and is hemmed in by the Dnipro River on one side and Russian forces on the other. BBC News reports that residents who had long feared escape routes were mined or exposed to drone attack were given a four-hour departure window on Friday.
A convoy of 25 buses was brought in for up to 750 evacuees, along with ambulances for people with limited mobility, according to BBC News. Up to 6,000 people, including 200 children, were believed to still be living in Oleshky and its surrounding areas, with 1,700 in the city itself.
Route through Russia and Belarus
Evacuees travelled through Russian-occupied territory to southern Russia, then flew to Belarus, arriving by bus at a military facility in Chernihiv on Saturday. BBC News reported that some elderly residents were so weak they had to be carried on stretchers as evacuees were processed.
The departure followed a humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, which BBC News said provided the area's first few days of peace in four years. The ceasefire's duration and terms beyond the reported departure window are not detailed in the source.
Reunions and uncertainty
For many families the arrival brought emotional reunions. Mykhailo Palii's daughters sprinted across the tarmac to embrace him; he described a hole blown into his bathroom and drone and missile attacks he had concealed from them. Tetiana and Volodymyr, carrying a cat, said their home burned down three years ago and they had lived in a neighbour's abandoned house since.
Evacuees now face the question of where to go next. Palii said he would look for work, listing digging, planting and building among tasks he could handle. Olha said her family has no relatives elsewhere in Ukraine and will stay with acquaintances while getting back on their feet.
How many buses were provided for the Oleshky evacuation?
BBC News reports a convoy of 25 buses was brought in for up to 750 evacuees during a four-hour departure window on Friday, alongside ambulances for people with limited mobility.
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