Hundreds evacuated from Oleshky as Melania Trump brokers rare Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky following a humanitarian ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, with three planes carrying evacuees landing at an airport in Belarus on Saturday, according to media reports.

The residents, who wished to return to Ukraine, were taken by bus through the Crimean peninsula to the Russian town of Anapa before being flown to Gomel in Belarus. They will travel onwards to Ukraine through a border crossing, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported, according to Reuters.

The evacuation took place on Friday as part of a joint relief operation involving the opposing sides, marking the first operation of its kind in four years and eight months of the war. Residents were reportedly starving and exhausted.

According to the BBC, Russian and Ukrainian authorities confirmed that hundreds of people had been evacuated from the devastated town. The operation was carried out during a temporary ceasefire that allowed the road out of Oleshky to be cleared of landmines. A ceasefire covering the entire frontline region of Kherson had been in force since Tuesday. The BBC described it as the longest and most extensive ceasefire since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Residents wishing to leave were given a four-hour window on Friday. A convoy of 25 buses was deployed to transport up to 750 people from the town by 2 pm local time. Ambulances were also arranged for people with limited mobility, BBC reported.

Russia's human rights ombudsman Yana Lantratova said the evacuation had taken place without incident. "Everything unfolded without any incidents, and both sides noted the high level of organisation," she said.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the evacuees were travelling towards southern Russia before continuing to Ukraine through Belarus. Melania Trump said that "all elements of the convoy, including the safe passageway in and out of Oleshky, was established through mutual agreement between Russian and Ukrainian leaders".

Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart also made a joint appeal to the US first lady for similar humanitarian operations to be organised regularly. Speaking on Friday evening, Lantratova said they had requested that "humanitarian missions such as this one, delivering aid to residents in need, be conducted on a regular basis under the coordination of Mrs Melania Trump".