Ukrainian residents have started returning to Oleshky after spending years under Russian occupation, describing life in the city as brutal and fraught with danger. "We came back from hell," one returnee said, encapsulating the trauma and hardship experienced by civilians who lived through prolonged frontline conditions.
A couple who evacuated and later returned told reporters they had to cross minefields while searching for food, highlighting the acute risks civilians faced during the occupation. Their account underlines persistent threats from unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive hazards that remain a barrier to safe movement and recovery.
Oleshky has been a focal point of the conflict as a front-line city, and residents say basic services and supplies were severely disrupted during the years of occupation. Many families were displaced or forced to rely on irregular means to obtain necessities, while others stayed behind despite the dangers, according to returnees' accounts.
Those who have resettled or are preparing to return warn that demining and restoration of essential services will be urgent priorities. Returning residents described extensive damage to homes and infrastructure and said humanitarian assistance, mine-clearance operations and the re-establishment of services such as water and electricity will be crucial for any sustainable recovery.
The experiences of Oleshky's residents illustrate the long-term civilian toll in contested areas, where displacement, food insecurity and the ever-present risk of mines continue to complicate efforts to rebuild and return to normal life. Observers say the accounts serve as a reminder of the humanitarian challenges that follow prolonged occupation and frontline warfare.