Civilians evacuated from besieged Ukrainian city of Oleshky in first joint relief operation

Evacuations of civilians began Friday in the Russian-held Ukrainian city of Oleshky as part of the first joint humanitarian operation since the war began, with a convoy delivering food and medicine and transporting residents out of the besieged area. The city, located on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River opposite Kherson, has faced severe shortages for months, with warnings of starvation for the roughly 2,000 remaining residents, including about 50 children. A localised ceasefire allowed roads to be de-mined, and evacuees will travel to Russia's Anapa, then fly to Belarus and bus into Ukraine's Chernihiv region, with some residents choosing to stay. Ukrainian officials confirmed the operation, which involved 25 buses and ambulances, while volunteers reported Russian military personnel pressuring residents to evacuate to Russia rather than Ukraine. The Kremlin called the ceasefire a special case, and the city, seized in February 2022, was also badly flooded after the Kakhovka dam destruction in June 2023.