How did Melania Trump's ceasefire get civilians out of Oleshky in Ukraine?

BBC correspondent Dan Johnson reported that hundreds of evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky reached northern Ukraine by bus and ambulance, travelling through Crimea, Russia and Belarus. A local ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump made the evacuation possible, and President Zelensky thanked her for it. Residents described surviving without water or power by cooking plants. The truce was due to end and fighting to restart by Monday.

• Russian forces had surrounded the town with drones overhead and mines on the roads.
• Some families were reunited after three years apart.
• There is concern that Russia will try to claim credit for the evacuation.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-11-01). Read the whole episode summary →

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