Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky return to Ukraine after U.S.-brokered ceasefire

Residents evacuated from Oleshky, a city in Ukraine's Kherson region that has been under Russian control since the early days of the war, entered Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday as part of a temporary ceasefire brokered by U.S. officials. The ceasefire, which began at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, is slated to remain in effect until Sunday evening.

About 2,000 people remaining in Oleshky were given the option to move to either Ukrainian- or Russian-held areas or stay in the city with increased food and medical supplies. Those who chose to leave were first taken by bus to the Russian city of Anapa, then flown to Homel in Belarus before proceeding to Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities have limited disclosure of the exact number of evacuees and the crossing point to protect those who stayed behind and to safeguard future humanitarian operations, organizers said.

At the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, relatives waited alongside aid tents, coffee stands and provisions for pets. Volunteers from the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and World Central Kitchen were present.

Liza Paliy, 19, said she had not seen her father for more than two and a half years after she, her mother and sister fled the occupied area while he remained. "We thought at that time that it would be a month, two maximum, and we would return, but unfortunately, two years have already passed," she said.

Daria Pavlyn also waited for her father, Mykhailo, who disappeared after a nearby strike killed two neighbours. She explained that he stayed behind because arrangements for his home and animals fell through, and he feared traveling without Russian documents.

The U.S. first lady posted on social media that the humanitarian convoy had safely evacuated more than 750 people. Pope Leo XIV also appealed to Russian and Ukrainian leaders to permit aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.

While the localized ceasefire held in Oleshky, fighting continued elsewhere. A Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Bryansk region killed two civilians, and additional drone attacks were reported in Bashkortostan and the city of Ufa. Russia's Ministry of Defense said it shot down 433 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Russian drone attacks on energy and railway infrastructure across Ukraine, leaving hundreds of thousands without power.