Thousands are starving in occupied Oleshky. People have no food, no way out, and Russian forces bomb incoming aid
More than 6,000 people, including around 200 children, may remain trapped in the Russian-occupied city, where civilians lack food, water and medicine and some are risking mined fields to escape.
Oleshky, a Ukrainian city now under Russian control, is in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, with over 6,000 people, including roughly 200 children, potentially trapped there according to Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Residents are enduring life without food, clean water, medicine, and other essentials as they endure relentless shelling and drone attacks.
Desperate to escape, some civilians attempt the perilous journey through mined fields to reach safety, risking death by mine or drone. Ombudsman Lubinets described the city as a "death trap," urging for the rescue of its inhabitants. The office has recorded 176 inquiries regarding the desperate situation in the temporarily occupied Kherson Oblast regions, with 358 individuals identified as needing immediate assistance to flee safely.
The ombudsman emphasized that this figure is likely far higher, given Oleshky's population and surrounding areas. The civilians in Oleshky are effectively caught in a "gray zone," facing continuous bombardment and a lack of basic necessities. The crisis has persisted for months, with food deliveries to the city almost entirely halted due to Russian forces blocking evacuation attempts.
Residents are resorting to extreme measures, gathering grass and searching destroyed basements for sustenance. The blockade has also hampered humanitarian aid, with Russian forces attacking vehicles delivering food and water. Both UN, Human Rights Watch, and the OSCE have confirmed the severe shortages of food, medical care, and dangerous conditions for civilians, along with restrictions on humanitarian aid and evacuation.
Despite previous agreements and ICRC readiness, Russia has not confirmed its willingness to carry out an organized evacuation, leaving the inhabitants of Oleshky trapped in a dire situation.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
