Hundreds of starving Ukrainians escape Russian-occupied Oleshky under ceasefire deal

Hundreds of starving Ukrainian civilians evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky returned to Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday under a rare localised ceasefire, with evacuees describing their escape from "hell" after enduring severe food shortages. The complex rescue mission, brokered with involvement from US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo XIV, involved travel by bus through Crimea to Russia, then a flight via Belarus to Ukraine. Evacuees reported eating grass to survive, with one elderly man losing 20 kg, while the oldest returnee was 94 and the youngest a baby over one. Ukrainian authorities imposed strict reporting restrictions on the operation, barring disclosure of exact evacuee numbers or border locations to protect remaining residents. Officials estimate only 1,700 to 2,000 people remained in Oleshky from a pre-war population of 24,000, with the truce scheduled to run through Sunday evening.