Oleshky Under Russian Occupation Faces Severe Humanitarian Crisis and Starvation
Trapped civilians in the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky face severe starvation and a dire humanitarian crisis as Russian forces block evacuations and relief airdrops.
The city of Oleshky, located across the Dnipro River from Kherson in southern Ukraine, has become a living hell under Russian occupation. Roughly 2,000 civilians, including 50 children, remain trapped in the city and surrounding villages without food or medicine, facing starvation. Residents report that uncollected corpses lie in the streets and are consumed by stray dogs, as lethal drone activity prevents any recovery operations.
Humanitarian Airdrops Amid Heavy Fighting
Last weekend, military authorities in Kherson conducted a large-scale airdrop of food, water, and medical supplies to the city and adjacent areas using heavy-duty drones. This came after Russia repeatedly rejected a temporary ceasefire request to evacuate civilians. The Kherson military administration reported that approximately four tons of food were dropped across 100 designated points, though it remains unclear how many packages were intercepted by Russian forces.
Local residents have described an unbearable situation to regional media outlets, noting that many have lost dozens of kilograms and survive on a single daily meal, typically a thin broth without potatoes. Since May, food supplies to the city have completely halted due to the expansion of minefields and dense Russian drone surveillance. Russian soldiers reportedly loot whatever little food remains and confiscate airdropped humanitarian relief.
Diplomatic Stand-off and Accusations
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the critical situation in Oleshky this month, but blamed Ukrainian forces for blocking humanitarian aid deliveries. Conversely, Ukrainian officials maintain that Russian troops deliberately block civilian evacuations and use the population as human shields to deter a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive on the city.
"Russia is deliberately making life there impossible. They are starving them to death," stated Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tatiana Hwasenko, head of the Oleshky military administration on the Ukrainian side, detailed an incident where a 74-year-old elderly man was killed by Russian soldiers after refusing to let them enter a cellar he dug to search for food. Other residents reported that Russian troops raided backyards to steal vegetables and food supplies from elderly women, cynically telling them they would soon be in heaven and survive on water alone.
