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Episode details

World Service,31 Oct 2026,49 mins

Emotional reunions as evacuees return to Ukraine

Newshour

Available for 29 days

Families have been reunited in northern Ukraine after civilians were evacuated from the devastated Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. Some arrived on stretchers, having endured years of severe shortages of food and medicine. One woman said they had escaped from hell. The evacuation was made possible by a temporary ceasefire brokered with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump, who has expressed hope that it could pave the way for a lasting peace. Also on the programme: Britain's prime minister says he is open to calls for a formal apology for the country's role in the slave trade. We hear the arguments for and against the idea; and four volunteers emerge after spending 378 days in a simulated mission to Mars. We speak to a former NASA astronaut about the challenges of living in isolation. (Photo: Ukrainian serviceman Dmytro welcomes back his partner Larysa as evacuees from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky arrive in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

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