Oleshky evacuation: three planes with residents land in Gomel

Three planes carrying evacuated residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky have landed at an airport near the Belarusian city of Gomel, the Belarusian state news agency Belta reported. Those who want to go to Ukraine must now travel on to territory controlled by Kyiv.

A long journey via Crimea and Anapa

The route was far from simple. The evacuees travelled by bus across the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian city of Anapa, and from there they were flown to Belarus. Each person was asked to choose: stay in Russia or continue on to Ukraine. According to Belta, some people have already split off from the group, having decided to remain on Russian territory.

A truce brokered with Melania Trump's help

The evacuation was made possible by a local truce lasting several days, organized by US First Lady Melania Trump. Besides the evacuation, it is meant to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the city, which is cut off from the outside world. According to Reuters, this is the first such operation since the start of the war.

What is happening in Oleshky

Ukraine has been repelling the Russian invasion since 2022. Oleshky lies in a part of the country held by Moscow, not far from Kherson and the Dnipro River, which forms the front line in this area. According to Ukrainian officials and local residents, the humanitarian situation there has deteriorated sharply in recent times: the city is short of food, medicine and drinking water.

Oleshky used to be home to about 24,000 people. By some estimates, fewer than 2,000 residents were left in the city when the current evacuation began.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz