'We came back from hell', say Ukrainians after years in Russia-occupied frontline city

What the report says

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated from Oleshky, a Russian-occupied frontline city in southern Ukraine, after years of war and isolation, according to BBC World News. The report focuses on one family, Olha and Viacheslav, who said they endured severe shortages, shelling and the constant threat of mines and drones before leaving with their children and dog. They were among evacuees who crossed out of the city via Belarus and arrived in northern Ukraine over the weekend, where some were reunited with relatives for the first time in years.

BBC said Oleshky has been cut off between the Dnipro River and Russian positions since the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The article describes desperate conditions inside the city, including residents searching for food through minefields and some cooking garden weeds to survive. The couple interviewed by BBC said they had become increasingly afraid as supplies ran low and the fighting worsened.

The evacuations were made possible by a short humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region, which BBC reported was brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump. Officials believed thousands of people were still in Oleshky and nearby areas, and the evacuation involved buses and ambulances for people with limited mobility. The report also noted emotional reunions on arrival and the uncertainty evacuees now face as they try to rebuild their lives elsewhere in Ukraine.