Residents of Oleshky Under Russian Occupation Evacuated via Belarus

Residents of Oleshky, a city on Ukraine's frontline that has been under Russian occupation since February 2022, have described their lives as "horror after being evacuated from the area via Belarus on Saturday.

The city is surrounded by Russian forces and trapped on one side by the Dnipro River. Evacuees, including hundreds of residents like Olha and her husband Viacheslav, were reunited with loved ones they had not seen in years.

Olha, who traveled back to northern Ukraine alongside her family and dog, described the intense shelling that had become a daily reality for them. Her husband, Viacheslav, echoed her sentiments, saying that escaping was just as perilous due to mined routes and drone attacks.

As supplies dwindled, Olha recounted how she and her husband attempted to find food by crossing through minefields earlier this month, facing the risk of stepping on mines and being maimed or killed.

As the humanitarian ceasefire took hold in the Kherson region, residents of Oleshky and its surrounding areas saw an opportunity to flee the war-torn city they had been living in for four years. For those who had been too afraid to venture out, cooking garden weeds was a desperate measure to survive as food supplies dwindled.

The chance to leave finally came when a ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump went into effect earlier this week. With the temporary peace, up to 6,000 people, including over 200 children, were able to evacuate from Oleshky and its surrounding areas, with around 1,700 still in the city.

Residents had just four hours on Friday to leave, with a convoy of 25 buses waiting to transport up to 750 evacuees. Additional ambulances were also provided for those who needed assistance due to limited mobility. The buses took evacuees through Russian-occupied territory to southern Russia and then flew them to Belarus.

Once in Belarus, the evacuees arrived on busses at a military facility in Chernihiv, where they were processed before being allowed to continue their journey onwards. Some elderly residents had to be carried on stretchers due to weakness, while others experienced emotional reunions as they were reunited with loved ones.

As Mykhailo Palii stepped off the plane, his daughters Dasha and Anya rushed towards him, their joyful screams filling the air as they threw themselves into an emotional reunion.

Palii's arrival in Chernihiv was a welcome respite for his family, who had feared they might never see him again. He revealed that life in Oleshky had been marked by destruction and chaos, with drone attacks and missile strikes leaving their mark on the city.

When asked about the conditions he faced, Palii described the damage to one of the homes he had stayed in - a bathroom had been destroyed by an explosion. He chose not to share these details with his family earlier, knowing it would only cause them worry.

Tetiana and Volodymyr, who arrived in Chernihiv carrying their cat, have also known the hardships of life under occupation. Their own home was burned down three years ago, forcing them to live in a neighbour's abandoned house instead.

As evacuees leave behind the devastation of Oleshky, they will now face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives.

Palii is determined to find employment and provide for his family, boasting that he can handle a wide range of jobs from manual labor to demolition work.

Olha's family has no relatives in Ukraine, so they will stay with acquaintances while they get back on their feet. Despite everything they've been through, Olha remains optimistic, saying If we managed to survive in hell, we'll survive here too."