Residents evacuated from Russia-occupied Oleshky arrive back in Ukraine amid temporary U.S.-brokered ceasefire

October 31, 2026 / 10:47 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Residents who were evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky as part of a U.S.-brokered temporary ceasefire crossed into Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday.

The civilians traveled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus, following a deal brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump.

Oleshky is a city in Ukraine's southeastern Kherson region occupied by Russia since the first days of the Ukraine-Russia war. It is one of the most dire humanitarian crises of the conflict.

The ceasefire began at 3 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to continue through Sunday evening.

The estimated 2,000 remaining residents of Oleshky were offered the choice of traveling to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies.

Those who chose to return to Ukraine were taken to the Russian city of Anapa, then flown to Homel in Belarus, from where they proceeded back home.

Ukrainian authorities imposed restrictions on disclosing the number of evacuees or the border crossing location. The measures are to safeguard those who chose to remain in Oleshky as well as to protect future humanitarian missions, the organizers said.

Relatives waited on Saturday at the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/