Evacuees from Oleshky Reunite with Families at Ukrainian-Belarusian Border Civilians evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky reached Ukrainian-held territory after a rare ceasefire, while Ukraine welcomed U.S. approval of a $2.1 billion Patriot missile sale but warned deliveries could take years. Evacuees from Russian-occupied Oleshky crossed into Ukrainian-held territory on Saturday, reuniting with family members at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border after a major rescue operation. The evacuation took place under the most significant truce since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four and a half years ago. The ceasefire in Ukraine's southern Kherson region began at 3 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to continue through Sunday evening. Melania Trump, the U.S. first lady, helped broker the localized deal, according to the White House. Pope Leo XIV also pressed Russian and Ukrainian leaders to allow aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.Evacuees Reunite At BorderUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday welcomed U.S. approval of Ukraine's purchase of 500 PAC-3 Patriot interceptors but urged partners to supply the weapons from existing stocks, saying the newly authorized U.S. sale could take years to arrive. Evacuees wrapped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags stepped off buses at the border where they were 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 to greet the convoy waving flags and flashlights. Relatives and volunteers with the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and World Central Kitchen welcomed the evacuees, ready to provide aid and food, including for their pets. Tetiana Leonidivna, 71, thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who helped her escape Oleshky.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.Life Under Occupation In OleshkyA Ukrainian serviceman who gave his name as Dmytro hugged his wife, Larysa, after they were evacuated from their Russian-occupied hometown and entered Ukraine's Chernihiv region on Saturday. Ivan Yevhenovych, 48, described his last few months in Oleshky while holding a cigarette between shaking fingers. It was very difficult. There were a lot of drones; it was hard to move around the streets, he said.Since spring, there hasn't really been any staple food left. People had a little bit of their own reserves. We are thrifty people. An estimated 2,000 people were still living in Oleshky when the temporary truce took hold.They were offered the choice of being evacuated to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or remaining in the city with replenished food and medical supplies. Many people stayed behind and didn't want to leave, Yevhenovych said. Some for their houses, some for their animals. Ukrainian authorities, seeking to protect those who remained and safeguard future humanitarian missions, have not said how many residents evacuated Oleshky and have restricted details of their route.Melania Trump posted on social media Friday that the humanitarian convoy could safely evacuate more than 750 people. Liza Paliy, 19, waited at the border for her father, whom she last saw more than two and a half years ago when she fled the occupied city with her mother and sister. We thought at that time that it would be a month, two maximum, and we would return, but unfortunately, two years have already passed, she said.Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, hailed the success of the humanitarian mission. This is an extremely important moment. Behind us are difficult negotiations, agreements, preparations, and an enormous amount of work. But most importantly, the people who waited so long to be rescued are finally safe, he said in an online post.Human Rights Officials Praise MissionLubinets said evacuees ranged in age from just over a year old to 94, and they brought pets, including dogs, cats, a parrot and a raccoon. He said he hoped the Oleshky truce can be replicated elsewhere. This experience could form the basis of a new mechanism for responding to the most difficult humanitarian crises - one that always puts people, their safety, and their right to life at its center, he said.Some Oleshky evacuees who chose to move to Russian-occupied territory have been taken to a temporary shelter in Simferopol, said Yana Lantratova, Russia's human rights commissioner. The city is in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014. After everything they have endured and a long journey, it is essential for these people to rest, recover, and feel cared for.However, support should not be limited to just a roof over their heads and a hot meal, she said in a social media post. There are many challenges ahead: replacing lost documents, medical treatment, arranging long-term housing, and reconnecting with family members. My office will assist in addressing these issues. Zelensky wrote on X that Russian attacks on energy infrastructure continue daily.Energy Infrastructure Strikes And Arms SalesRight now, the Russians are attacking our energy infrastructure every single day. In just these past two weeks of October, there have already been more than 30 Russian strikes on critical parts of our power grid, he wrote. The Trump administration said Friday that it had approved a proposed $2.1 billion sale of Patriot air defense interceptors, after Kyiv had accused the Pentagon of delaying deliveries of the vital munition needed to stop Russian ballistic missiles.The U.S. State Department said 500 Patriot missiles would be purchased for Ukraine with donations from Canada, Germany and Norway through a U.S. program and that no American funds were involved. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack killed a 30-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man in Russia's western Bryansk region, local Gov. Yegor Kovalchuk said Saturday. Five other people were wounded, he said.Russian attacks left 280,000 households in Ukraine without power. Local officials also reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan.