By Basant El-Faramawy
Hundreds of starving Ukrainian civilians returned to Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky under a rare localized ceasefire agreement. Evacuees described dire conditions, saying they were forced to eat grass to survive after supply lines collapsed.
Dire Conditions in Oleshky
Residents reported severe food shortages and relentless shelling. One elderly man said he lost 20 kilograms over the past year and required hospital treatment. Svitlana Yermakova said she chopped grass and squash to survive and risked cycling through minefields to find food. The oldest evacuee was 94 years old; the youngest was a baby just over one year old.
Complex Evacuation Route
Because active combat positions across the Dnipro River made a direct crossing impossible, civilians traveled a circuitous route spanning thousands of kilometres. They were bused via Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa, flown to Belarus, and then continued to Ukraine. At a border reception point in northern Ukraine, aid organizations including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and World Central Kitchen provided heated tents, food, and veterinary care for pets.
International Brokerage
The multi-leg rescue mission was brokered with the involvement of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and appeals from Pope Leo XIV, marking the most significant humanitarian pause between Kyiv and Moscow since the full-scale invasion began four and a half years ago. Ukraine's human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, accompanied the evacuees throughout the transit.
Uncertain Fate of Relatives
Dozens of relatives waited at the border, unsure whether family members were among the evacuees. Liza Paliy, 19, had not seen her father in over two and a half years. Daria Pavlyn lost contact with her father, Mykhailo, roughly a month ago. Ukrainian authorities imposed strict reporting restrictions, withholding the exact number of evacuees and the border crossing location to protect those who remained and future corridors.
Ceasefire Terms and Remaining Residents
The localized truce took effect at 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday and was scheduled to run through Sunday evening. Officials estimate only 1,700 to 2,000 residents remain in Oleshky from a pre-war population of roughly 24,000, mostly elderly or bedridden. Those who stayed were offered relocation to Russia, return to Ukrainian-held territory, or remaining with replenished food and medical supplies. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said living conditions remain difficult and agreed to regular humanitarian missions.
Ongoing Conflict and Military Aid
The evacuation occurred amid continued hostilities. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian drone attacks overnight targeted energy and rail infrastructure, cutting power to 280,000 households in the Kyiv and Dnipro regions. Meanwhile, Washington approved a $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to Ukraine, financed through contributions from Germany, Canada, and Norway.
