Evacuations begin in Russian-occupied Oleschky after three-day ceasefire

Evacuations and aid deliveries began Friday in Russian-occupied frontline city Oleschky, enabled by a three-day local ceasefire in the previously starved city. Russia dampened hopes the pause could serve as a model for broader peace plans. The ceasefire was mediated by Pope Leo XIV and US First Lady Melania Trump. Russian and Ukrainian human rights commissioners appeared together in Oleschky, promising food, hygiene products, medical supplies, and fuel to residents. Twenty-five buses with over 750 seats and nine ambulances were prepared, with evacuees split between those heading to Russia or occupied territories and those going to Ukrainian-controlled areas. The evacuation route reportedly goes through Russia and Belarus before re-entering Ukraine. Between 1,700 and 2,000 people remain in the city, which had 24,000 pre-war residents, suffering from severe shortages of food, medicine, power, and water. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov called the ceasefire a one-off case, while fighting continued elsewhere, including Russian strikes on Kyiv and Odessa infrastructure.