Ukraine's Council of Churches asks Pope Leo XIV to help save occupied Oleshky from starvation
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which unites various religious communities, appealed to Pope Leo XIV to use every possible means to save residents of Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast from starvation, according to the council's appeal dated Sept. 19.
The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has appealed to Pope Leo XIV to assist in saving the residents of the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky from starvation. The council emphasized that the town is under blockade and on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, with the last food supply arriving at the end of May 2026.
The residents, estimated to be over 6,000 people, including about 200 children, are effectively trapped in a gray zone near the front line and face daily danger from shelling and drone attacks. The town's critical infrastructure is largely destroyed, with no electricity or gas supply. The council also recalled that Oleshky suffered massive flooding in 2023 after Russian forces blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
They have urged religious leaders and human rights organizations to prevent people from starving to death and support a humanitarian mission for the evacuation of Oleshky residents to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Brief written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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