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

According to the BBC, hundreds of residents have been evacuated from the frontline city of Oleshky after enduring years of Russian occupation, severe shortages, and intense conflict.

Disembarking from a coach in the Ukrainian region of Chernihiv alongside her family and dog, an evacuee named Olha described her experience simply as "horror". Her husband, Viacheslav, summarized their ordeal by stating, "We came back from hell."

Life Under Occupation in Oleshky

Seized by Russia during the initial days of its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Oleshky remained trapped between the Dnipro River and occupying forces. Olha and Viacheslav lived in the city with their adult son and daughter, enduring escalating shelling while fearing that escape routes were too dangerous due to heavy mining and drone attacks.

As supplies dwindled, some residents braved deadly minefields in search of food. "People were stepping on mines, dying and being maimed, all just to survive," Olha told the BBC, noting that those too afraid to venture outside resorted to cooking garden weeds.

A Humanitarian Ceasefire and Evacuation

Relief arrived when a humanitarian ceasefire, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, took effect in the Kherson region. The brief truce provided the first days of peace in four years and enabled an evacuation window. Up to 6,000 people were believed to remain in the broader Oleshky area, with 1,700 inside the city itself.

On Friday, a convoy of 25 buses and ambulances for those with limited mobility facilitated the departure of up to 750 evacuees. The travelers moved through Russian-occupied territory to southern Russia, flew to Belarus, and finally arrived at a military facility in Chernihiv.

Emotional Reunions and Uncertain Futures

The arrival in Chernihiv brought emotional reunions. Evacuee Mykhailo Palii was met by his daughters, Dasha and Anya, who ran across the tarmac in tears after fearing they would never see him again. Palii recounted surviving missile strikes, drone attacks, and damage to his home that he had previously kept secret to protect his family from worry.

Other evacuees, such as Tetiana and Volodymyr, arrived with a pet cat after living in a neighbor’s abandoned home following the destruction of their own house three years prior.

While safe, the newly arrived evacuees face the challenge of rebuilding their lives. Palii expressed readiness to take on manual labor, while Olha noted that her family will temporarily stay with acquaintances. Reflecting on their survival, Olha said, "If we managed to survive in hell, we’ll survive here too."

Source: 'We came back from hell', say Ukrainians after years in Russia-occupied frontline city (source-feed timestamp 2026-10-31T19:22:26+00:00). AI-assisted report based on the cited linked article and its RSS feed; details were not independently verified.