Oleshky, a city in southeastern Ukraine along the Dnipro River, is facing an escalating humanitarian crisis as its population dwindles amid ongoing conflict and deteriorating living conditions. Once home to approximately 24,000 residents, the city has been under Russian occupation since the onset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Current estimates indicate fewer than 2,000 people remain.

The city has suffered extensive damage from shelling and fires, and its infrastructure has been severely impaired. The situation worsened dramatically in June 2023 following the collapse of the Kakhovka Dam, an event linked by an investigation to the Russian military. The resulting floods killed hundreds and inundated large parts of Oleshky.

Residents remaining in the city endure a lack of fundamental services, including electricity, heating, running water, food, and medical supplies. Roads out of the city are reportedly mined and littered with wrecked vehicles, complicating attempts to flee. Drone surveillance and attacks further hinder movement and aid delivery.

One woman, a former hairdresser, recounted her escape in August by walking 12 miles along the perilous, partially mined route known as “the road of death.” She described fearing for her life at every step. Many others remain trapped, with limited options for survival as winter approaches.

The conflicting parties blame each other for the crisis. Russian authorities claim Ukrainian forces obstruct supply efforts and civilian evacuations, while Ukrainian officials argue that Russian forces are effectively holding residents hostage. Ukraine has repeatedly called for local ceasefires to facilitate humanitarian evacuations, but Russia, as the occupying power, has not agreed to such measures.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the dire conditions in Oleshky during an October 12 speech at an international forum in Poland, asserting that the city had been “razed to the ground” by Russian forces and appealing for its unblocking to allow civilians to return to safer areas.

In recent diplomatic efforts, Pope Leo XIV urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to support a ceasefire to enable safe deliveries of aid and evacuations. The Kremlin indicated that Putin expressed willingness to cooperate with Vatican initiatives to protect civilians and ensure supply access.

Inside Oleshky, residents reportedly scavenge for food amid ruins or attempt to cultivate small plots. Water is sourced from wells, and firewood provides heating. The city’s morgue and hospital face critical challenges: bodies remain unburied due to a lack of electricity, and the hospital is overwhelmed, lacking medicines and basic equipment. According to Tetiana Hasanenko, the displaced head of the city’s Ukrainian military administration, about 100 bodies are stored in the hospital’s basement.

The U.N. human rights office reports that regular food deliveries ceased in late May. Authorities installed by Russia claim to have distributed limited aid shipments, insufficient to meet needs. Ambulance movements and medical care are hindered by ongoing drone attacks.

Some Russian troops have reportedly retreated further from the Dnipro River, leaving residents feeling abandoned by occupying forces. At least one attempt to bring food into the city resulted in death when a vehicle was targeted.

The journey from Oleshky to safer areas such as the Russian-held village of Radensk can take six to eight hours on foot or by bicycle, often under dangerous conditions. Travel is primarily possible only during dry weather, and many evacuees face physical frailty due to prolonged hunger.

As winter approaches, those remaining in Oleshky face increasingly bleak prospects, with residents warning that many may not survive without immediate humanitarian intervention.