A winter of hunger looms for residents trapped in Russian-occupied city in Ukraine

Residents of Oleshky, a city in Ukraine captured by Russian forces, face imminent hunger and disease as the harsh winter approaches. The city, once home to 24,000 people, now has fewer than 2,000 residents left. Electricity, heat, and running water are absent, and the roads leading out are mined with burned-out vehicles scattered along them. Drones buzz menacingly overhead.

One former resident, now a 40-year-old woman, walked 20 kilometers along a mined road to escape the city, fearing for her life with every step. The city was captured by Russian forces on the first day of the 2022 invasion, and has suffered extensive damage from shelling and flooding caused by the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023.

Now, with no food, medical care, or aid, the remaining residents are forced to scavenge for food or grow vegetables in garden plots. Wells provide water, and firewood is used for warmth, but bodies are piling up in the city morgue and hospital due to the lack of medical supplies and electricity. No food deliveries have reached the city since May 26, 2024.

Ukraine has appealed for a ceasefire to allow evacuations, while Russia maintains that Ukraine is blocking supplies and evacuations. The U.N. human rights office has stated that the last regular food delivery by road was May 26, and the hospital lacks medicine and basic supplies. Russian-installed officials claim to have delivered 2 tons of aid, but it is insufficient. The city's future looks grim, with many residents already dead or prepared to leave for better conditions.