Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that hundreds of civilians from Russian-occupied Oleshky arrived safely in the Chernihiv region on Saturday. Although Ukrainian forces were stationed just five kilometers away, destroyed infrastructure, landmines, and drone activity prevented a direct river crossing. The complex extraction instead required a nearly 19-hour journey by road and Russian government aircraft spanning Crimea, Russia, and Belarus. To facilitate the mission, roads were cleared of landmines so that a 25-bus convoy, accompanied by ambulances and aid vehicles, could enter the city during a strict four-hour window.
Key points
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky credited mediation by the United States and First…: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky credited mediation by the United States and First Lady Melania Trump for facilitating the humanitarian rescue.
Independent attempts to escape the occupied town had previously proved lethal, including…: Independent attempts to escape the occupied town had previously proved lethal, including a September incident where landmines killed one person and wounded four others.
The successful operation brought an end to prolonged isolation and allowed separated fami…: The successful operation brought an end to prolonged isolation and allowed separated families to reunite in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Hundreds of residents from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky have reached Ukrainian-controlled territory after undertaking an extraordinary journey through Crimea, Russia and Belarus under a temporary ceasefire.
According to BBC, the evacuees arrived in Ukraine's Chernihiv region on Saturday after travelling for nearly 19 hours to escape the humanitarian crisis in their city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the successful completion of the humanitarian operation, saying that all evacuated residents had crossed into Ukraine through the Chernihiv region.
He said roads leading to Oleshky were cleared of mines during the temporary ceasefire, allowing humanitarian supplies to be delivered and residents requiring evacuation to be brought out.
He also expressed hope that humanitarian access to Oleshky would continue and thanked the US and First Lady Melania Trump for their mediation efforts.
The evacuation brought an emotional end to years of separation for several families. Relatives waited at the Belarus-Ukraine border to reunite with family members who had remained in Oleshky under Russian occupation.
Among them was 19-year-old Liza Paliy, who had not seen her father for more than two-and-a-half years…
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