Residents of Ukraine's Oleshky arrive in Belarus

Four planes carrying Ukrainian evacuees from the Russian-controlled town of Oleshky have landed in Belarus, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta and a senior Ukrainian official. This marks the first and longest humanitarian ceasefire in the five-year-long war. The final plane touched down in Gomel, as reported by David Arakhamia, a top Ukrainian peace negotiator and ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Within hours, all Ukrainian citizens evacuated from Oleshky, along with a Ukrainian delegation, will be back on Ukrainian soil. Belta later confirmed that a convoy of buses carrying evacuees had departed from Gomel's airport, located in southeastern Belarus near Ukraine's border. The evacuees had to traverse a challenging path to leave Oleshky, as the front line was only a few kilometers away.

They initially traveled by bus through Crimea to the Russian town of Anapa before flying to Belarus, from where they would continue to Ukraine via a border crossing, Belta explained. The local ceasefire in Oleshky was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, with Pope Leo's assistance. The ceasefire, which has held since Tuesday without any violations, has enabled the de-mining of roads and the delivery of food, medicines, and other supplies to the town.

Supply routes to Oleshky were disrupted by fighting and drones, with some residents reporting that food deliveries ceased in May, leaving hundreds in starvation. It remains unclear how many people chose to leave Oleshky and how many opted to stay. Ukrainian officials have stated that around 1,700 individuals remained in Oleshky, out of a pre-war population of approximately 24,000. Several residents who spoke to Reuters noted that many of those remaining were elderly or ill.