Oleshky Residents Return to Ukraine After 4-Year Wait

For the first time in more than four years, residents of the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky stepped onto Ukrainian-held soil on Saturday. The crossing marks the culmination of a humanitarian operation conducted under a temporary ceasefire in the southern Kherson region that began early Tuesday and was scheduled to last through Sunday evening.

The truce allows for the evacuation of civilians who had been trapped in the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that more than 750 individuals left the city, a figure cited by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump on social media. She stated the humanitarian convoy could safely transport that number of people. The White House indicated that Trump helped broker the localized deal, while Pope Leo XIV urged both nations to facilitate aid deliveries and evacuations.

The journey from Oleshky to the Ukrainian-Belarusian border involved travel by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Upon arrival, evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow flags disembarked from buses to meet relatives and volunteers. Organizations including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and World Central Kitchen provided food and medical assistance. Volunteers handed out coffee and held hand-drawn welcome signs. Residents from nearby villages lined the highway, waving flags and flashlights to greet the convoy.

Ivan Yevhenovych, 48, described the conditions in Oleshky as difficult, noting frequent drone strikes and a scarcity of staple food since spring. He said landmines and drones killed residents daily. He held a cigarette between shaking fingers as he spoke. "It was hard to move around the streets," Yevhenovych said. He noted that many residents remained in the city, choosing to stay for their houses or animals.

Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian soldiers who facilitated her escape. "We love them, we love them," she said through tears. "We know that they are protecting us. And a deep bow to them, and a deep bow to their parents, for having such children. I am proud, I am simply proud."

Liza Paliy, 19, waited at the border to reunite with her father, whom she had not seen in more than two and a half years. She fled the city with her mother and sister when the occupation began. "We thought at that time that it would be a month, two maximum, and we would return, but unfortunately, two years have already passed," Paliy said.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, described the mission as a victory. He reported that evacuees ranged in age from just over one year old to 94. The group brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot, and a raccoon. Lubinets said the truce could form the basis for a new mechanism for responding to humanitarian crises.

Russia’s human rights commissioner, Yana Lantratova, stated that both sides agreed to conduct regular humanitarian missions in and around Oleshky. She said some evacuees chose to move to Russian-occupied territory and were taken to a temporary shelter in Simferopol, located on the Crimean Peninsula. Lantratova noted that living conditions in Oleshky remain difficult for those who stayed.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the U.S. approval of a $2.1 billion sale of 500 PAC-3 Patriot interceptors for Ukraine. He urged partners to supply weapons from existing stocks, noting that the newly authorized U.S. weapons could take years to arrive. The State Department said the missiles would be purchased with donations from Canada, Germany, and Norway through a U.S. program, with no American funds involved.

Separately, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a 30-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man in Russia’s western Bryansk region on Saturday. Local Governor Yegor Kovalchuk said five others were wounded. Russian media reported a fire in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan, which hosts several oil refineries. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 433 Ukrainian drones overnight. Zelenskyy said Russian attacks on energy and railway infrastructure left 280,000 households in the Dnipro and Kyiv regions without power.