Ukrainian evacuees reunite with family after years trapped in Russia-occupied city

Evacuees from the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, located in a Russian-occupied area, reunited with their families after a three-year ordeal. Families were seen weeping as they embraced relatives they had not seen in years, with some elderly residents needing assistance to walk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged US First Lady Melania Trump's role in facilitating the evacuation, which occurred on Friday.

Upon their arrival, Dasha and Anya Palii sprinted towards the bus carrying their father Mykhailo, their cries and tears reflecting the relief after three years of uncertainty. Their mother Zhanna stroked Mykhailo's forehead, as if checking his identity. Zelensky expressed gratitude for the assistance provided to the evacuees, emphasizing the importance of support from government agencies and local authorities.

The oldest evacuee was 94 years old, while the youngest was just one year old. Many evacuees suffered from the effects of prolonged exposure to the frontline, some using crutches or wheelchairs. Before the war, Oleshky had a population of 24,000, but its conditions had deteriorated to the point where obtaining supplies was extremely challenging, and escape was perilous due to mined routes and drone attacks. Bridges across the River Dnipro had been destroyed, and the riverbank was deemed dangerous.

One resident who fled three weeks prior mentioned walking through 24km (15 miles) of minefields to reach safety. The humanitarian ceasefire in Kherson provided a brief respite, but the impact of the war remains evident in the weary faces of the evacuees.