Oleshky faces humanitarian crisis under Russian occupation

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has warned of a deliberate humanitarian catastrophe in the occupied city of Oleshky, located in the Kherson region. According to Sybiha, Russian forces are blocking access to food and medicine, preventing civilian evacuations, and using FPV drones to target people in the streets.

The population of Oleshky has plummeted from approximately 24,000 before the war to between 2,000 and 4,000 residents, including about 50 children. The city lacks electricity and gas, and residents are reportedly forced to scavenge for food and grass to survive. As food supplies dwindle and local economies collapse, some residents have resorted to bartering goods or slaughtering livestock due to a lack of fodder.

Ukraine is seeking an organized evacuation of the remaining civilians. While the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations have expressed readiness to assist with aid and evacuations, officials state that Russia remains the primary obstacle by using humanitarian access as a tool of pressure. Kyiv intends to bring this issue to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to mobilize international pressure on Moscow.