Oleshky evacuees reunite with families after truce allows crossing into Ukraine

Residents of nearby villages line highway waving flags to greet the evacuees’ convoy from the Russian-occupied city

Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky have been reunited with their families after crossing into Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday.

The major rescue operation began on Friday and was carried out under the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four and a half years ago.

Evacuees wrapped in Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border to be reunited with family members. Volunteers with hand-drawn welcome signs handed coffee to the weary people who had travelled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Residents of nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and torches to greet the convoy.