Forced to eat grass, Oleshky evacuees say truce was a 'blessing'

Oleshky, a city in Russian-occupied Ukraine, has been described by evacuees as a place where people had to resort to eating grass and dogs to survive. The city's rescue following a humanitarian truce between Ukraine and Russia has been hailed as a blessing by those who endured such hardships. US First Lady Melania Trump announced the truce on October 23, 2023, expressing concern over the city's impending disaster.

Ukrainian and Russian officials toured the city together, delivering aid and assisting with evacuations, marking a rare moment of cooperation between the warring factions.

Upon their arrival in Ukraine on Saturday, evacuees shared a harrowing account of life in Oleshky. According to Valera, a 29-year-old former resident, the locals resorted to growing and consuming grass due to the scarcity of food. Some went to extreme measures, even shooting and cooking dogs to sustain themselves. The city, located in Ukraine's southern Kherson region, had been under Russian control since 2022 and had witnessed intense fighting that left the residents severely malnourished and trapped.

When interviewed, residents expressed their gratitude for the humanitarian operation. Yelyzaveta Paliy, a 19-year-old awaiting her father's return, and her family were overjoyed to reunite with Ivan, a 70-year-old resident. Ivan, who lived in Oleshky for the past month, lamented the city's dire situation, stating that they had managed to grow vegetables in their garden and shared resources with neighbors.

However, he also recounted the tragic loss of four vehicles during their evacuation due to mine explosions. Both Moscow and Kyiv remain uncertain about the exact number of residents evacuated, with neither country providing a definitive count and acknowledging that many opted to stay in their war-torn city.