Ukrainian foreign minister says Russian-held town is a 'death trap' with starving residents

On October 17, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha denounced the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine as a "death trap" filled with starving residents. This warning came on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin's pledge to cooperate in supplying vital goods to the town in Kherson region. According to Sybiha, the hospital in Oleshky has run out of medication, and numerous bodies are strewn across the streets and homes, with residents forbidden from burying them.

Families are surviving on minimal sustenance, including leftover garden vegetables, preserves, and even snails. Ukraine has persistently called for safe evacuation and international humanitarian access to the area. Despite acknowledging critical issues with food and medical supplies in September, Russia claimed its military was working to address the problems.

Ukrainian forces have utilized drones to deliver food and medicine to Oleshky twice. Sybiha called upon the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other organizations to establish safe evacuation routes and facilitate immediate humanitarian assistance. Oleshky, situated on the eastern side of the Dnipro River within the Kherson region, was largely occupied by Russian forces following the 2022 invasion.

As of now, only about 1,700 residents remain in the town, including 47 children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently described the circumstances in Oleshky as "genocide." On Saturday, Russian forces allegedly launched aerial bombings on Kherson, the town located on the opposite bank of the Dnipro from Oleshky, resulting in the death of an ambulance driver and the wounding of 40 individuals.