Key facts
- Hundreds of residents evacuated from Oleshky crossed into northern Ukraine via Belarus on Saturday.
- The city of Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since February 2022.
- A humanitarian ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump reportedly enabled the evacuation.
- Up to 1,700 people were believed to be living in Oleshky itself.
Residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky have described their experiences as "hell" and "horror" after being evacuated to Chernihiv in northern Ukraine. The group, which included families and their pets, arrived on Saturday following a humanitarian ceasefire that allowed for their departure. Many had not seen loved ones for years and endured severe conditions, including constant shelling, dwindling supplies, and the danger of mines and drone attacks. Some resorted to eating garden weeds to survive. The evacuation, reportedly brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, provided a window for up to 750 people to leave the city, where an estimated 1,700 residents remained. Evacuees faced a long journey through Russian-occupied territory before reaching Belarus and then Ukraine.