Tearful families embraced at Ukraine’s northern border on Saturday as civilians evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky completed a long journey back to government-controlled territory. The arrival in Chernihiv followed a local ceasefire brokered through efforts by US First Lady Melania Trump.
Sisters Dasha and Anya Palii rushed across the tarmac to greet their father Mykhailo, whom they had not seen in three years. Their mother, Zhanna, embraced him warmly as he assured her they would finally wed after enduring years of separation and hardship. Fearing they would never see him again, their cries and their tears captured the sheer relief of three years of desperate worry. As if checking he was the same man she had left behind, their mother Zhanna clasped Mykhailo’s face and stroked his forehead again and again. Finally, they will now get married, he promised her. Not least having left the place they call home, they have a lot to come to terms with.
The evacuees included a wide range of ages, spanning from a one-year-old child to a 94-year-old resident, according to Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Many of the arriving civilians showed severe physical strain, traveling in a convoy that featured equal numbers of coaches and ambulances. Some required stretchers, crutches, or wheelchairs to move. Some hobbling on crutches, others needing wheelchairs, the impact of years caught between the frontlines is written on the weary faces of many of Oleshky’s residents.
Before their arrival at the border, the group endured dire living conditions in Oleshky, where basic necessities like running water, electricity, and food had vanished. To survive, some elderly residents had resorted to cooking garden weeds while trapped in the active conflict zone.
Among those fleeing were Tetiana and Volodymyr, an older couple who managed to bring their cat. They shared that their home was destroyed by fire during the initial year of the war, forcing them to take shelter in an abandoned house belonging to a neighbor. Upon hearing of the evacuation opportunity, they immediately chose to leave despite fears that their route might be blocked. According to they, They instantly took the decision to leave but feared their journey could be disrupted.
Although Ukrainian frontline positions are situated just 5 km (3.1 miles) from Oleshky, direct passage was impossible. Evacuees were forced to navigate through Russian-controlled areas to reach southern Russia, where they boarded flights to Belarus before being transported by bus across the Ukrainian border into Chernihiv region on Saturday.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the arrival, posting on X that all evacuees would receive complete state support. He stressed that government agencies and regional authorities must coordinate swiftly to assist the returning citizens with their immediate needs and social adaptation.
Zelensky also expressed gratitude to the US First Lady and praised Lubinets and his team for managing the evacuation. He acknowledged those who helped draw global attention to what he characterized as a severe humanitarian crisis in territories temporarily occupied by Russia.
The humanitarian truce went into effect on Tuesday across the Kherson region, bringing the first period of calm to the frontline area since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Prior to the war, Oleshky had a population of 24,000 people.
Escape from Oleshky had been extremely hazardous due to mined roads, destroyed bridges across the nearby Dnipro River, and constant danger from drone strikes. Demonstrating the extreme hazards, one resident who managed to escape three weeks earlier reported walking through 15 miles (24 km) of minefields to reach safety.
The temporary ceasefire enabled clearing operations along the primary road out of Oleshky, allowing humanitarian aid to enter and facilitating safe passage. The truce measures are scheduled to remain active until the end of Sunday, 1 November.
Under the evacuation plan, residents had a four-hour departure window on Friday afternoon. A convoy comprising 25 buses with capacity for 750 people, alongside specialized medical transport for individuals with mobility challenges, carried out the operation.
Despite the opening of the evacuation corridor, several hundred residents chose to remain in Oleshky despite extensive destruction and absent municipal services. Relatives indicated that many older residents preferred not to abandon their long-standing homes.
Lubinets confirmed on Friday morning that civilians remaining in Oleshky will receive all necessary humanitarian assistance. To coordinate the effort, Lubinets crossed into Russian-controlled territory alongside Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova, traveling from Armiansk in occupied Crimea. The visit marked the first time a Ukrainian official entered Russian-occupied areas since the invasion began.
Addressing criticism over his joint appearance with a representative of the occupying authority, Lubinets stated that direct communication was necessary to save lives. Meanwhile, Russian officials stated on Thursday that they had dispatched tens of tonnes of relief supplies to Oleshky, including food, medicine, hygiene kits, and generator fuel for those choosing to stay.
