Hundreds from Russian-occupied Oleshky land in Belarus en route to Ukraine

What the report says

Hundreds of civilians evacuated from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky have arrived in Belarus and are expected to continue on to Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera, citing Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and Belarusian state media. The evacuees reached the southeastern Belarusian city of Gomel on Saturday aboard four planes, after beginning the journey by bus convoys on Friday.

The transfer is taking place under a rare truce covering the region through Sunday. Al Jazeera reported that around 2,000 residents were given a choice of moving to Ukrainian-held territory, Russian-held territory, or staying in Oleshky with additional food and medical supplies. The town has faced severe shortages of food and medicine amid years of fighting.

In Gomel, the arriving group was received by rescue workers, medical staff and Red Cross volunteers, and Arakhamia said they were due to enter Ukrainian territory within hours. The report also said Russia’s representative on the mission, Yana Lantratova, indicated that some evacuees chose to travel to Russia. The evacuation has drawn attention because it comes amid broader questions about humanitarian access and the role of outside figures, including claims from the White House that Melania Trump helped broker the arrangement, alongside calls from Pope Leo XIV for civilian evacuations and aid deliveries.