Russia's methodical use of starvation in Oleshky

The town of Oleshky, located in southern Kherson Oblast, Ukraine, has been under a total blockade imposed by Russian occupation forces since May 26, 2026. This blockade has resulted in no humanitarian aid reaching the town, leading to widespread starvation and suffering among the residents. Emaciated animals have vanished from the streets, and residents are resorting to eating weeds, a situation that draws harrowing comparisons to past sieges in Yarmouk and Mariupol.

The Russian occupation forces have been continuously occupying Oleshky since the initial hours of the full-scale invasion, and five of the community's thirteen settlements have been destroyed in the fighting. The Antonivka bridge, the town's last link to Ukrainian-held territory, was destroyed in November 2022, while the Kakhovka dam was blown up by Russian forces in June 2023, unleashing a flood that submerged much of Oleshky and destroyed its infrastructure.

The aftermath of the dam explosion left the town without centralized power, gas, or running water, and residents lost most of their administrative documents. As of February 2026, attempts to evacuate or deliver aid to Oleshky have been met with death or injury, with the last delivery arriving on May 26, 2026. Every attempt since then has been met with failure due to landmines and Russian drones.

Ukraine has tried to coordinate humanitarian access and evacuation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), but Russia has consistently refused to cooperate, further demonstrating its intent to starve the town's civilians. Russia's actions, including the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the complete blockade of the town, and the discriminatory distribution of food to Russian passport holders, are in clear violation of international law.

Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, and the material element of the crime has been confirmed multiple times.