Evacuees reunite with family at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border after fleeing Oleshky

CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine -- Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-held territory Saturday in a major rescue operation carried out under the most significant truce since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine 4½ years ago.Evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and reunited with family members. Volunteers with hand-drawn welcome signs handed out coffee to the weary travelers who had traveled by bus and plane through Russia and Belarus. Residents of nearby villages lined the highway waving flags and flashlights to greet the convoy.Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her to flee.“We love them, we love them,” she said through tears. “We know that they are protecting us. And a deep bow to them, and a deep bow to their parents, for having such children. I am proud, I am simply proud.”The ceasefire in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region began early Tuesday and was expected to continue through Sunday evening. The White House has said U.S. first lady Melania Trump helped to broker the localized deal, while Pope Leo XIV pressed Russia and Ukraine to allow aid deliveries and ...