India, Nov. 1 -- Weary and exhausted residents from the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky crossed safely into Ukrainian-held territory at the weekend, marking a profound emotional milestone in a rare and complex civilian rescue operation. Wrapping themselves in blue and yellow national flags, evacuees stepped off buses at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in the Chernihiv region on Saturday, greeted by tearful relatives, local volunteers, and waving crowds who lined the highway with hand-drawn banners.

The successful repatriation was facilitated by a localised humanitarian ceasefire in the Kherson region, the most significant tactical pause in fighting since the war's escalation-allowing vulnerable civilians to escape mon...