Evacuees from Olesjky reunite with families in northern Ukraine

Evacuees from the southern Ukrainian city of Olesjky reunited with family members in northern Ukraine on Saturday after a long journey by bus and plane. The evacuees left Olesjky on Friday during a local ceasefire reportedly negotiated with involvement from US first lady Melania Trump. A convoy of 25 buses transported them via Crimea to the Russian city of Anapa, where buses were divided for those heading to Russia and Ukraine. Those choosing Ukraine flew to Gomel, Belarus, before traveling onward. Ukrainian and Russian ombudsmen coordinated the unprecedented evacuation, the first of its kind since Russia's invasion. Sky News reported some residents accused Russian soldiers of trying to trick them into going to Russia. Around 2,000 people remained in the city, which had 24,000 residents before the 2022 occupation.