Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as 2,000 Civilians Remain Trapped in Occupied Oleshky

Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s Kherson region, is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with about 2,000 residents reportedly cut off from outside help. Residents are described as lacking adequate food, medicine, medical care, running water and electricity, while some face starvation and a serious risk of death. Ukrainian officials and aid workers say access routes are blocked and that civilians attempting to flee face dangers including mines and drone attacks. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty called for an immediate local ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access and safe civilian evacuations, stressing Russia’s obligations as the occupying power to provide essential supplies and facilitate relief.
Oleshky’s population has fallen sharply: the area’s prewar population of about 40,000 is now estimated at as few as 6,000, including around 2,000 in the town itself, according to Oleshky Military Administration head Tetiana Hasanenko.
Messages from residents describe rationing dwindling food and moving between abandoned houses to escape drone attacks and Russian troops; one resident called the situation a “complete” blockade with “endless drones, fires.”
Reports say some residents have resorted to eating grass, while families have hidden bodies in hospital basements as they wait for evacuations that have not been available.
Ukrainian experts say relief deliveries to Oleshky and nearby Hola Prystan are further complicated by occupation forces using humanitarian transport corridors for combined military movements, putting civilian safety at risk.
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