Oleshky evacuation reunites separated couple after 4-1/2 years

Larysa Ryndova, 72, met her husband Serhiy, 68, outside a Kyiv hospital after 4-1/2 years apart. She had flown from England to see him, wearing makeup and perfume as if on a first date.

Serhiy had remained in Oleshky, a Russian-held town in southern Ukraine, to care for the family home. He became trapped as the town faced landmines, drone attacks, and a humanitarian crisis.

Around 800 civilians were evacuated from Oleshky during a ceasefire on October 30. Serhiy left with hundreds of other residents, traveling through occupied land, Russia, and Belarus.

The evacuation involved the mediation of US first lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo. Aid was also delivered to residents who remained behind in the town.

Serhiy described Oleshky as a "zone of death" where survival could depend on an individual Russian soldier's mood. He had survived on stockpiled humanitarian aid.

Larysa made a 2,000-km journey to bring Serhiy back to Britain. She said he looked haggard and was difficult to recognize in the first pictures of him crossing into Ukraine.

Russian media framed the evacuation as Moscow's concern for occupied residents. Ukrainian officials emphasized the need to save lives and continue humanitarian missions.