Evacuees from Russia-controlled Oleshky arrive back in Ukraine amid U.S.-brokered ceasefire

Residents evacuated from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky arrived back in Ukraine on Saturday amid a localized U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement .

The halt in fighting, which was secured earlier this month by first lady Melania Trump, went into effect on Tuesday and is set to last through Saturday.

Residents were given the choice of being transported to Russia, Ukraine or remaining in the city with replenished food supplies. Those who chose to return to Ukraine were transported through Russia and Belarus before reaching the country’s Chernihiv region on Saturday.

The city, which is located in the Russian-controlled Kherson region, has faced shortages in food, medicine and other vital supplies amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war . Around 2,000 people were reportedly trapped in the city, including a large elderly population.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the first lady for her efforts to secure the localized ceasefire in a Saturday social media post announcing the return of the Oleshky evacuees to Ukraine.

“As of now, Ukrainian citizens from Oleshky have crossed the Ukrainian border in the Chernihiv region,” he wrote. “All of them will receive the assistance they need. It is important that government agencies and all the regional and local authorities involved work effectively and help our people adapt.”

Zelensky expressed his hope that humanitarian access to the city would “remain open.”

Melania Trump responded on social media Saturday to a video shared by a Ukrainian official of the moment the residents reached Ukraine.

“Oleshky proves we can raise humanity above war,” she wrote. “Together, we can build a peaceful planet, a world of promise for our children.”

On Friday, the first lady said the humanitarian convoy effort, which included 25 buses and 50 medical professionals, could safely evacuate 750 people from the city.

“All elements of the convoy, including the safe passageway in and out of Oleshky, was established through mutual agreement between Russian and Ukrainian leaders,” she wrote in a social media post .

José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, said his nonprofit team had set up food supplies in preparation for the evacuees’ arrival back in Ukraine.

“The route was long: from Oleshky through Crimea to Anapa in Russia, then a flight to Belarus and onward by road into Chernihiv region. After a journey like that, warm, good food matters a great deal,” Andrés wrote on social media , alongside a video of evacuees going through a food line.

Zelensky praised the nonprofit’s assistance and said he was “proud and grateful” for Andrés’s involvement in this effort.

“Thank you to you and the entire World Central Kitchen team for the warmth of your dishes and hearts,” the Ukrainian leader wrote in a social media post .