Captured by Russia in 2022, locals in the city had faced food, water and medicine shortages for months, while some were forced to hunt and eat pigeons, former residents told.
A journalist saw the residents, some draped in Ukrainian flags, disembark from buses and tearfully embrace their loved ones in emotional scenes following the Friday visit by officials.
The operation brought together Ukrainian and Russian officials in a rare show of cooperation between the warring sides to deliver aid and marshal those who wanted to leave.
The Ukrainian military had previously released drone footage of the town showing rows of empty apartment blocks, some charred by fire or partially destroyed by fighting.
Evacuated residents from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky arrived to reunite with their loved ones following a rare evacuation operation.
The city has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and was caught in intense fighting that left residents starving and unable to leave.
"We last saw him at the end of January 2024, when my sister, mum and I left, and he stayed behind,"a 19-year-old resident said. Captured by Russia in 2022, locals in the city had faced food, water and medicine shortages for months, while some were forced to hunt and eat pigeons, former residents said.
The city of Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and was caught in intense fighting that left residents starving and unable to leave.
Ukrainian and Russian officials visited the city together on Friday, delivering aid and marshalling those who wanted to leave in a rare show of cooperation between the warring sides.