Evacuation begins in Russian-occupied Olesjky as ceasefire holds

The evacuation of civilians from the Russian-occupied city of Olesjky in southern Ukraine began on Friday, led by the human rights ombudsmen of Ukraine and Russia. The operation follows a ceasefire agreement mediated by US First Lady Melania Trump. The parties prepared 25 buses with capacity for 750 passengers, plus ambulances for those with limited mobility. Russian authorities have promised evacuees can choose to go to either Russia or Ukraine, and roads have been cleared of mines, though two deminers were killed during the work. The ceasefire expires on Sunday evening. Olesjky, occupied since the 2022 invasion, originally had 24,000 residents, but the remaining 2,000 have faced severe shortages of food, electricity, medicine, and heating. Residents choosing to stay will receive humanitarian aid.