EU Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno begins hunger strike

European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno has announced a hunger strike to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, a city in Ukraine’s Kherson region under Russian occupation. Picierno stated that thousands of civilians are trapped in the area without consistent access to food or medicine, while landmines make evacuations extremely dangerous.

Describing the strike as a “diplomatic and nonviolent initiative,” Picierno called for an immediate humanitarian truce to allow for the safe passage of supplies and the evacuation of civilians. She emphasized that diplomacy must be paired with defense, stating, “diplomacy without defense has another name: surrender.”

Oleshky has been under Russian control since the early days of the 2022 invasion. Current estimates suggest approximately 1,700 residents remain in the city, down from a pre-war population of 24,000.