First ton-scale drone lifeline: Ukraine flies 4 more tons of aid into a starving Russian-occupied town of Oleshky
Ukraine is using repeated, ton-scale drone deliveries to bring food and medicine to civilians in an occupied town where food cannot get in and Russian forces are taking supplies from residents.
On the night of October 4th, almost 4 tons of supplies, including food, medicine, and children's kits, were successfully delivered to the Ukrainian-occupied town of Oleshky by drone. Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi confirmed that all parcels reached their destinations. This marked the second ton-scale drone delivery into the blockaded town within a week, with regular deliveries to the area since March.
However, the success of the deliveries does not guarantee that the aid reaches those it was intended for. Kherson Oblast head Oleksandr Prokudin revealed that Russian forces actively shoot down drones carrying food and confiscate supplies from residents. Furthermore, he reported that Russian forces detain and abuse individuals who receive the aid, treating it as cooperation with Ukraine.
Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky City Military Administration, added that Russian troops question residents about the origin of the food and consider the receipt of Ukrainian aid as an act of support. Despite the blockade imposed on the town, about 2,000 people, including nearly 50 children, remain there. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine had previously warned that food deliveries could not enter Oleshky, leaving the sick and injured without necessary medical assistance.
The International Institute for the Study of War described Russia's restrictions on the town as an effective blockade. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged a "genuine humanitarian catastrophe" in Oleshky but blamed Ukraine for disrupting supplies of food and water using drones. The drone crews responsible for the deliveries included the National Guard's 11th Mykhailo Hrushevskyi Brigade, 34th Kherson Regiment, 30th Marine Corps, 34th Separate Marine Brigade Borysfen, and the 79th Border Guard Detachment. Perun drone crew also rescued six animals from the occupied territory.
The drone deliveries to Oleshky are not a new phenomenon. In 2023, Ukrainian drone operators had already dropped water and other supplies to civilians in Oleshky and nearby settlements. What sets the current effort apart is the repeated, ton-scale deliveries into the occupied town, demonstrating the ongoing struggle to provide aid amid the Russian blockade.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
