Oleshky residents arrived in Ukraine during humanitarian truce — Al Jazeera

Evacuated residents of Oleshky, temporarily occupied by Russia in Kherson Oblast, crossed Ukraine’s border in Chernihiv Oblast during a six-day humanitarian truce. Al Jazeera reports.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that all people who arrived from Oleshky would receive the necessary assistance. The evacuees reached the Ukrainian-Belarusian border by bus, where they met with relatives. Large tents were set up for them, and they were provided with hot food, tea and medical care.

Route through Crimea and Belarus

To reach territory controlled by Ukraine, Oleshky residents first crossed Crimea, temporarily occupied by Russia, by bus, reached the Russian city of Anapa and then flew to Belarus. After that, they crossed the border into Ukraine.

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According to some evacuees, supply routes to Oleshky were disrupted by hostilities and drone attacks. They also said that food deliveries stopped in May, leaving hundreds of people on the brink of starvation. Evacuee Svitlana Yermakova told Reuters that residents ate grass and pumpkins to survive.

Ceasefire

Representatives of the aggressor state Russia and Ukrainian officials said that the ceasefire regime in Oleshky has been observed since Tuesday. This made it possible to clear mines from roads and resume delivering food, medicines and other essential items to the city. According to the publication, the truce is due to end on Sunday evening.

Some residents decided to remain in Oleshky despite the lack of gas, electricity and water supply. Before the war, the city’s population was about 24,000, and before the evacuation it had fallen to around 1,700, according to Al Jazeera. Ukrainian officials did not specify the exact number of evacuees or those who remained in the city.