Zelensky informs: Evacuees from Oleski crossed the border of Ukraine

"People requiring evacuation were taken out of the city and the surrounding hromada (municipality). Currently, Ukrainian citizens from Oleski have crossed the state border into the Chernihiv Oblast (adjacent to Belarus)," Zelensky wrote in the Telegram messenger.

The President of Ukraine emphasized that all evacuees will receive support, and government institutions and local authorities are obliged to provide them with help in adapting to new living conditions.

What was the evacuation like?

After hours On the 12th, the last, fourth plane with people evacuated from Oleski, occupied by Russian troops, reached Gomel in the south-east of Belarus.

The evacuees, who included elderly people, children and pets, were first transported by bus to the Russian city of Anapa on the Black Sea, from where they then flew to Belarus.

A temporary tent camp was prepared for them at the airport in Gomel.

Temporary truce and the role of Melania Trump

The evacuation was made possible thanks to a temporary truce negotiated by representatives of Russia and Ukraine. According to information provided by the White House, the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, contributed to the conclusion of the agreement. The truce has been in force since October 27 and is to last until November 1 at 10:59 p.m.

Melania Trump announced that the ceasefire had been extended beyond Oleski to allow humanitarian convoys to reach other towns in need. This made it possible not only to provide aid, but also to evacuate the most at-risk residents.