Tears and joy as Oleshky residents reunite with relatives in Ukraine

On October 31, a group of residents from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky finally made their way to Ukrainian-controlled territory amidst an evacuation mission. This journey was made possible through a temporary ceasefire in fighting, brokered with the assistance of U.S. First Lady Melania Trump. Seventeen buses transported the evacuees to safety.

Upon reaching Ukrainian-controlled territory, families were joyously reunited with long-lost relatives who had not seen each other in years. The Kyiv Independent's Yuliia Taradiuk and Olena Zashko were on hand to document the emotional moment.

Oleshky, a city within Ukraine's Kherson Oblast, has been under Russian control since 2022. For months, its residents endured a dire humanitarian crisis marked by severe shortages of essential supplies like food and medicine. Access to medical care was also severely limited. Russian forces had effectively sealed off the city, trapping approximately 2,000 people with no safe means of escape.

After a grueling 19-hour journey, the evacuees finally arrived in free Ukraine, their relief and happiness palpable.