Ukrainian evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reunite with family

Starved and exhausted residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-controlled territory in a major civilian evacuation. The operation was enabled by a six-day local ceasefire mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump with help from Pope Leo XIV, the longest local pause in fighting since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Evacuees reunited with relatives at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in the Chernihiv region, where officials said they would receive assistance. Residents said food deliveries had stopped in May; one elderly evacuee had lost 20kg in a year and needed hospital treatment.