Russia blocks food aid to trapped residents of occupied Oleshky
About 2,000 people remain trapped in Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson region, with food drones shot down and evacuation blocked, officials say.
About 2,000 residents remain in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Ukraine's Kherson region, where Russian forces are blocking food deliveries and evacuations, according to Ukrainian officials and international monitors. Ukrainian forces said they delivered about four tonnes of food to the city by drone across the Dnipro river, one of the largest such operations of the war.
Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson regional military administration, said Russian forces have been downing drones carrying food, seizing or reselling parcels that land, and holding residents caught with aid. Euronews reported that soldiers have also gone door to door hunting for dropped supplies.
No food has reached Oleshky through regular channels since May, according to ground reports cited by Euronews. Ukrainian forces have been delivering aid by drone across the Dnipro since March, the regional administration said, though it withholds the location and timing of individual operations for security reasons. Ukrainian troops hold positions on the river's right bank, several kilometres from the city.
Estimates of how many people remain in Oleshky vary. The Kherson regional military administration puts the population at around 2,000, including nearly 50 children, down from about 25,000 before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations estimates more than 6,000 people remain in the city and surrounding area, including around 200 children.
Ukrainian officials said anyone suspected of contact with Ukrainian authorities or the armed forces faces immediate execution. Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, said he was alarmed that civilians, among them children, have no adequate access to food, medicine, water or power, and warned that available reports point to "a high risk of death."
Kyiv has drawn up an evacuation plan that the International Committee of the Red Cross is prepared to join, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said. Russia has not confirmed it will allow the mission to proceed, and without agreed access volunteers cannot enter the city on their own. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on international organisations to secure humanitarian access.
What we know
- About 2,000 residents remain in Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson region, according to the Kherson regional military administration.
- Ukrainian forces delivered about four tonnes of food to the city by drone, one of the largest such operations of the war.
- Kherson regional administration head Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian troops are shooting down food drones and detaining residents caught with aid parcels.
- The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner said civilians face a high risk of death without food, medicine, water or electricity.
- Kyiv has proposed an evacuation plan the International Committee of the Red Cross is prepared to join, but Russia has not confirmed access.
Not yet confirmed
- The Institute for the Study of War says the Kremlin has shown no interest in a local humanitarian ceasefire and appears to be actively hindering Ukrainian aid efforts in the Oleshky area.
Why it matters for Europe
Oleshky has been cut off since Russia's occupation began in the early days of the 2022 invasion, and conditions worsened sharply after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023, which flooded large parts of the region and is estimated to have killed 200 to 300 people in the city alone. The city now has no regular access to food, medicine or clean water, more than four years into the war.
The case has drawn direct statements from the United Nations mission in Ukraine, which said in June that the situation there was desperate, with civilians facing a serious threat to their lives from lack of food and medical care. It shows how the war's humanitarian toll continues to fall on people in occupied territory that Ukrainian and international agencies have almost no means to reach.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Euronews: Ukraine's city of Oleshky faces starvation as Russia blocks all aid
- Institute for the Study of War (ISW): MORE: The Kremlin has so far shown no interest in working with Ukraine or other international authorities to establish a local humanitarian ceasefire in the Oleshky area to resolve the crisis and now appears to be actively hindering Ukrainian efforts to provide food to local
Intelligence file
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Questions and answers
- Where is Oleshky and who controls it?
- Oleshky is a city in Ukraine's Kherson region that has been under Russian occupation since the early weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
- How many people are still in Oleshky?
- Estimates vary: the Kherson regional administration says about 2,000 people remain, while the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches puts the figure at more than 6,000 in the city and surrounding area.
- Why can't aid reach the city?
- Ukrainian officials say Russian forces are shooting down food-carrying drones, confiscating supplies that land, and blocking evacuation routes.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.