Ukrainian evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reunite with family

Starved and exhausted residents of Oleshky arrive in Ukraine after months of isolation, but some stay behind.

People embrace each other, as residents evacuated during a humanitarian mission from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky return to Ukrainian-controlled territory at an undisclosed location on October 31, 2026 [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

Starved and exhausted residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky have crossed into Ukraine in a major evacuation operation of civilians, under the first humanitarian truce of its kind in more than four years of Moscow’s war.

The six-day ceasefire covering the town was reached with mediation efforts by US First Lady Melania Trump and help from Pope Leo XIV. It is the longest local pause in fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022.

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“Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region. All of them will receive the assistance they need,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X, thanking the United States and the first lady for mediating.

“Further steps toward de-escalation and real progress toward peace are also needed,” he added.

Evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and reunited with family members.

Ukrainian officials met the evacuees with posters reading “You’re not alone” and “We embrace with our hearts”, while residents from nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet them.

Supply routes to Oleshky had been 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, told the Reuters news agency that he had lost 20kg (44lbs) over the past year, becoming so weak he required hospital treatment.

Another evacuee, Svitlana Yermakova, told Reuters they had to eat grass to survive.

“We chopped grass and squash… just to hold on,” she said, adding that she risked riding by bicycle through minefields to a nearby village to get food for herself and her dog.

To reach Ukrainian-held territory, Oleshky residents had to take a complicated route to leave the devastated town just a few kilometres from the front line.

They first crossed Crimea by bus to the Russian town of Anapa before flying to Belarus, from where they crossed into Ukraine.

Ambulances lined the street, and several large military tents were erected, where hot meals, tea and medical aid were provided.

Russian and Ukrainian officials say the ceasefire in Oleshky has held since Tuesday, allowing them to de-mine the roads and bring food, medicines and other supplies into the town again.

The truce is due to end on Sunday evening.

Some residents have decided to remain in Oleshky, despite the ongoing lack of gas, electricity and running water.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said living conditions in the occupied Oleshky remained difficult, pledging she would continue to work with her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Lubinets, to help those who stayed.

“The mission has come to an end,” she said on Telegram. “We have agreed to carry out regular humanitarian missions, which is a very important step.”

Oleshky had a pre-war population of about 24,000, which plunged to an estimated 1,700 before the evacuation.

Ukrainian officials have not said exactly how many residents were evacuated or how many remained.

Despite the ceasefire in Oleshky, fighting rages on in other parts of the front, with Russia and Ukraine keeping up drone attacks against each other.

奥列什基的居民在与世隔绝数月后，饥寒交迫地抵达乌克兰，但有些人却留了下来。

2026年10月31日，在一次人道主义救援行动中，从俄罗斯占领的乌克兰城镇奥列什基撤离的居民返回乌克兰控制区，地点未公开。人们互相拥抱。[Valentyn Ogirenko/路透社]

在莫斯科发动战争四年多以来首次达成的人道主义停火协议下，被俄罗斯占领的乌克兰城镇奥列什基的饥饿疲惫的居民已经越境进入乌克兰，这是一次大规模的平民撤离行动。

在美国第一夫人梅拉尼娅·特朗普的斡旋和教皇利奥十四世的帮助下，该镇达成了为期六天的停火协议。这是自2022年俄罗斯全面入侵其邻国以来，当地持续时间最长的停火。

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美国批准向乌克兰出售价值21亿美元的“爱国者”导弹，名单共3份，此为第2份。

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乌克兰总统泽连斯基在X上发文称：“来自奥列什基的乌克兰公民已越过切尔尼戈夫州的乌克兰边境。他们所有人都将获得所需的援助。”他还感谢美国和第一夫人的斡旋。

他还补充说：“还需要采取进一步措施缓和局势，并在实现和平方面取得真正的进展。”

身披蓝黄相间乌克兰国旗的撤离人员在乌克兰-白俄罗斯边境走下巴士，与家人团聚。

乌克兰官员举着写有“你并不孤单”和“我们用心拥抱你”的海报迎接撤离人员，而附近村庄的居民则在公路两旁挥舞着旗帜和手电筒迎接他们。

奥列什基的补给线因战乱和无人机袭击而中断。据一些居民称，5月份食品供应停止，导致数百人面临饥饿。

一名撤离人员，一位坐在轮椅上的老人告诉路透社，他在过去一年里瘦了 20 公斤（44 磅），身体非常虚弱，需要住院治疗。

另一名撤离人员斯维特拉娜·叶尔马科娃告诉路透社，他们不得不吃草才能活下去。

“我们砍草、砍南瓜……只是为了勉强维持生计，”她说，并补充说，她冒着生命危险骑自行车穿过雷区到附近的村庄，为自己和她的狗弄些食物。

奥列什基的居民为了抵达乌克兰控制区，不得不绕道前往距离前线仅几公里的被摧毁的小镇。

他们先乘公共汽车穿越克里米亚到达俄罗斯城市阿纳帕，然后飞往白俄罗斯，再从白俄罗斯进入乌克兰。

救护车停满了街道，还搭起了几个大型军用帐篷，里面提供热饭、茶水和医疗救助。

俄罗斯和乌克兰官员表示，奥列什基的停火自周二以来一直有效，这使得他们能够清除道路上的地雷，并再次将食品、药品和其他物资运入该镇。

休战协议将于周日晚间结束。

尽管奥列什基持续缺乏天然气、电力和自来水，但一些居民还是决定留在那里。

俄罗斯人权事务专员亚娜·兰特拉托娃表示，被占领的奥列什基的生活条件仍然很艰苦，她承诺将继续与乌克兰人权事务专员德米特罗·卢比涅茨合作，帮助那些留下来的人。

她在Telegram上说：“这次任务已经结束了。我们已同意开展定期的人道主义救援任务，这是一个非常重要的进步。”

奥列什基战前人口约有 24,000 人，在疏散前骤降至约 1,700 人。

乌克兰官员尚未透露究竟有多少居民被疏散，又有多少居民留了下来。

尽管奥列什基地区已经停火，但前线其他地区的战斗仍在继续，俄罗斯和乌克兰继续互相进行无人机袭击。