Ukrainians evacuate Oleshky via Belarus as Russia allows first occupied-territory delegation

Russia has allowed a Ukrainian delegation to enter occupied territory for the first time to evacuate residents from the destroyed city of Oleshky, with over 200 people registered to leave via Belarus. The unprecedented operation involves Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinez traveling with his Russian counterpart from Crimea. Residents fear being deceived about their destination, though Lubinez is verifying that all evacuees board buses to Ukraine. The route takes them from Russian-occupied Anapa to Gomel, Belarus, then onward to Ukraine, with some residents choosing to stay or relocate to Crimea instead. The city, once home to 24,000 people, now has about 1,000 residents living amid ruins, drone threats, and mines. The evacuation was facilitated by a ceasefire mediated by Melania Trump, with officials calling it a "historic operation" that could serve as a model for other front-line cities.