Oleshky evacuees return to Ukraine after U.S.-brokered ceasefire

Evacuees from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky arrived back in Ukrainian-held territory following a temporary, localized ceasefire, according to reporting from CBS News.

The evacuation mission followed a rare agreement brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, which established a localized truce in the southern Kherson region.

Media additions

“People are forced to survive on grass and weeds”: Ukraine’s FM warns of humanitarian crisis in occupied Oleshky

The ceasefire took effect at 3 a.m. On Tuesday and was scheduled to run through Sunday evening.

According to Euronews, the returning citizens crossed the border into Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region.

Emotional scenes accompanied their arrival, with families reuniting across the tarmac.

Before the operation, Oleshky had descended into what international officials and human rights advocates described as an acute humanitarian crisis.

Located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, the city saw its population drop from around 24,000 before the war to approximately 2,000 remaining residents, including children, according to figures cited by Rubryka.

Basic infrastructure collapsed following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, and food supplies dwindled entirely as minefields and drone surveillance made escape nearly impossible.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned earlier that civilians were being forced to survive on grass and weeds, attributing the catastrophe directly to Russia's occupation.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin blamed Ukrainian military actions for blocking supply routes, as reported by The Guardian.

The rare cooperation required to execute the evacuation involved Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his Russian counterpart Yana Lantratova travelling together to the region.

Evacuees were taken first to the Russian city of Anapa, flown to Homel in Belarus, and then transported across the border.

Ukrainian authorities imposed strict information restrictions on the exact border crossing locations and total evacuee counts to safeguard those who remained behind, as noted by Bangkok Post.

Even as the localized truce held in Kherson, hostilities persisted across the rest of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russian overnight drone strikes targeted energy and railway infrastructure in the Kyiv, Sumy, and Dnipro regions, leaving roughly 280,000 households without power.

Concurrently, regional Russian officials reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the Bryansk region and Bashkortostan, demonstrating that the wider war remained active beyond the humanitarian corridor.

As World coverage continues to monitor the aftermath of the rescue mission, attention turns to the hundreds of residents who chose to stay in Oleshky.

Ukrainian officials confirmed that humanitarian aid would continue to be supplied to those remaining in the city.

The successful border crossing on Saturday, October 31, 2026, marked the climax of intense negotiations involving international figures.

Apart from Melania Trump, Pope Leo XIV also pressed leaders to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.

The logistical efforts required the coordination of multiple humanitarian bodies, including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the World Central Kitchen, whose volunteers waited at the border alongside anxious relatives bringing provisions and pet supplies.

Among those waiting on Saturday was 19-year-old Liza Paliy, who had not seen her father since she, her mother, and sister fled the occupied territory years prior.

Another waiting relative, Daria Pavlyn, hoped to reunite with her father Mykhailo, who had stayed behind after initial escape plans stalled.

BBC reporting detailed how sisters Dasha and Anya Palii sprinted across the tarmac toward the bus carrying their father, while their mother Zhanna clasped his face in relief.

The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 had already cut off basic infrastructure, plunging the city into years without running water, electricity, or gas.

The Russian Ministry of Defence noted that dozens of tonnes of supplies had been prepared for residents declining evacuation.

As the temporary truce approaches its conclusion through Sunday evening, questions remain regarding the hundreds of residents who chose to stay behind.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed that those remaining would continue to receive necessary humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume in November, leaving international observers watching to see if this localized corridor might pave the way for broader diplomatic engagement.