Oleshky residents return to Ukraine after Trump‑mediated ceasefire

On Saturday, a convoy of exhausted, starved civilians from the Russian‑occupied town of Oleshky crossed the Ukrainian border into Chernihiv, marking the first humanitarian truce on the front line in more than four years of war. The ceasefire, brokered by U.S. First lady Melania Trump and facilitated by the pope's involvement, allowed the evacuation of residents who had endured food shortages that left many people living on grass.

Background: Oleshky’s Plight

Oleshky lies in Ukraine’s Kherson region, only a few kilometres from the front line. The town has been under Russian occupation since the first days of the invasion. The town was devastated after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023 and the flooding of the nearby areas. According to some reports, Oleshky had a pre-war population of about 24,000. Before the evacuation, an estimated 1,700 remained.

Media additions

Supply routes to Oleshky were disrupted by fighting and drones. According to some residents, food deliveries were stopped in May, pushing hundreds of people into starvation. One evacuee, an elderly man in a wheelchair, said that he had lost 20 kg over the past year, becoming so weak that he required hospital treatment, and another resident, Svitlana Yermakova, said that they had to eat grass to survive food shortages, adding that she risked riding by bicycle through minefields to a nearby village to get food for herself and her dog, Manila.

The Ceasefire: Negotiation and Implementation

The six-day local ceasefire in Oleshky was reached after mediation efforts by US first lady Melania Trump and with the pope's involvement. It is the longest local pause in fighting since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The State reports that the deal was reached after mediation by Melania Trump and with the pope's involvement, with both sides agreeing to halt hostilities and allow humanitarian aid into the town.

"The ceasefire has been holding since Tuesday without violations, according to both Ukrainian and Russian officials," said Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets.

It has allowed them to de-mine the roads and bring food, medicines and other supplies into the town. The ceasefire also enabled the evacuation of civilians who chose to leave the occupied area. Some residents decided to go to Russia, while others elected to remain in Oleshky, despite the lack of gas, electricity and running water.

The Journey Home

To reach Ukrainian-held territory, Oleshky residents had to take a complicated route to leave the devastated town just a few kilometres away from the front line. They first travelled by bus via Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa, before flying to Belarus from where they continued to Ukraine. A video shared by Ukraine’s ombudsman showed dozens of Oleshky residents slowly disembarking from a plane at a Belarusian airfield. Many people were elderly. Some required help to walk, and a few were carried on stretchers or in wheelchairs. They carried minimal luggage – only a bag or two. Dogs were unloaded from the plane in cages.

As several big buses crossed into Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region from Belarus, the residents were greeted by relatives. Ambulances lined the street and several large military tents were erected where hot meals, tea and medical aid were provided. Pet food and water bottles were piled up on several tables.

"We have come a complicated way: from negotiations and agreeing on a ceasefire to delivering humanitarian aid directly to Oleshky and organising the evacuation of civilians," said Lubinets.

Reception and Relief

Ukrainian officials greeted the evacuees with posters "You're not alone" and "We embrace with our hearts." Many cried. One elderly woman said that they had escaped from hell as she exited a bus. She was greeted by another woman wrapped in Ukraine’s national blue and yellow flag. Both cried.

Medical teams provided treatment for those who had lost weight or suffered from dehydration. "As of now, Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need," said President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, thanking the US and Melania Trump for mediation.

Numbers and Demographics

Statements from Officials

• Zelenskyy thanked the US and Melania Trump for mediation and pledged assistance to evacuees.
• Dmytro Lubinets described the operation as a win and highlighted the cooperation between Ukrainian and Russian ombudsmen.
• Yana Lantratova, Russia’s human rights commissioner, said both sides had agreed to conduct regular humanitarian missions and praised the cooperation with Lubinets.
• Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, noted that the ceasefire was an isolated situation, which was difficult to extrapolate to the broader peace process.

Continuing Conflict and Future Dialogue

Despite the ceasefire on the southern Kherson front, fighting raged on in other parts of the front. Both Russia and Ukraine also kept up their drone attacks on each other. Zelenskiy said that Russia had attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure, hitting electricity substations, thermal power plants and gas infrastructure. Ukraine’s military said it had hit a major Russian producer of missile fuel in the Rostov region.

Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US are due to resume talks in Abu Dhabi in early November after discussions were suspended in February following the outbreak of the war in Iran.

Timeline of Key Events

• May – Food deliveries to Oleshky stop, pushing hundreds of people into starvation.
• Tuesday – Six‑day ceasefire begins.
• Saturday – Evacuees crossed into Ukraine.
• Early November – Planned resumption of diplomatic talks in Abu Dhabi.

What to Watch Next

Observers will be looking for whether the ceasefire can be extended or replicated in other occupied towns. The outcomes of the upcoming Abu Dhabi talks could determine whether a framework for regular humanitarian pauses is established. Additionally, monitoring the continued drone activity and energy infrastructure attacks will be crucial to assess the broader stability of the region.