Residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky reached Ukrainian-held territory Saturday in a large evacuation under the most significant truce since Russia's full-scale invasion 4½ years ago.
At the border
Evacuees draped in Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in the Chernihiv region and reunited with relatives. They had traveled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Volunteers handed out coffee, villagers waved flags along the highway, and aid groups including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and World Central Kitchen helped. Crews unloaded pets, including cats, dogs, a parrot and a raccoon.
A 71-year-old evacuee thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her leave. A 48-year-old man described months of drones and little food in Oleshky.
The truce
The localized ceasefire in the Kherson region began early Tuesday and was expected to last through Sunday evening. The White House said first lady Melania Trump helped broker it, and Pope Leo XIV urged both sides to allow aid and evacuations.
Sources: PBS News, The Associated Press