Evacuees from Russian‑occupied Oleshky arrive in Ukraine after US‑brokered ceasefire

Around 2,000 Oleshky residents crossed into Ukrainian‑held territory on Oct. 31, 2026, following a truce negotiated by US First Lady Melania Trump.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sun, 01 Nov 2026 05:54:08 GMT

Residents of the Russian‑occupied city of Oleshky arrived in Ukrainian‑controlled territory on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, after being evacuated through Belarus and Russia under a ceasefire brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, according to France 24 and the New York Post.

What happened

On Oct. 30, a convoy of 25 buses left Oleshky, carrying roughly 2,000 people. The evacuation route passed through Russian‑held Crimea, then Russia and Belarus before reaching northern Ukraine. On Oct. 31, the evacuees disembarked at the Ukrainian‑Belarusian border in Chernihiv Oblast, where volunteers handed out coffee and families greeted them with Ukrainian blue‑and‑yellow flags.

What the reports add

France 24 reported that an AFP journalist saw residents, some draped in Ukrainian flags, step off buses and embrace loved ones, noting that many had survived on grass and even hunted dogs. The outlet also quoted First Lady Melania Trump’s earlier description of Oleshky as "on the brink of disaster" and said her intervention made the aid possible.

The New York Post added that the operation was the "most significant truce" since Russia’s full‑scale invasion and described evacuees travelling by both bus and plane. It highlighted individual reunions, such as Ukrainian serviceman Dmytro kissing his wife Larysa, and quoted 71‑year‑old Tetiana Leonidivna thanking Ukrainian soldiers for their help.

What was said

First Lady Melania Trump, as cited by France 24, said Oleshky was "on the brink of disaster" and that without her intervention delivering aid would have been "impossible".

Valera, an evacuee quoted by France 24, said, "There was no bread. Nothing. The shops weren't open."

Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, told the New York Post, "We love them, we love them… I am proud, I am simply proud."

How it came about

The evacuation follows a ceasefire negotiated by Melania Trump that began on Oct. 30, as detailed in Felo’s earlier article US‑brokered ceasefire enables evacuation of Oleshky residents. Subsequent reporting on Oct. 31 described the second wave of evacuations, with aid from the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and World Central Kitchen, as covered in Felo’s piece Hundreds of Ukrainians evacuated from Russian‑occupied Oleshky under ceasefire. The dire conditions preceding the operation were documented on Sep. 27 in Oleshky civilians face starvation as Russian forces halt aid.

Key facts

Around 2,000 Oleshky residents were evacuated on Oct. 31, 2026. (france24.com)
The ceasefire was brokered by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. (france24.com)
Evacuees travelled through Russia and Belarus before reaching Ukrainian‑controlled areas. (nypost.com)
Residents reported surviving on grass and hunting dogs before evacuation. (france24.com)
Volunteers handed out coffee and welcome signs at the Ukrainian‑Belarusian border. (nypost.com)

Where accounts differ

Mode of transport for evacuees: Evacuees travelled by bus via Belarus. (france24.com); Evacuees travelled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. (nypost.com)