Located about five miles south of the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson, the town of Oleshky remains under Russian control, where residents face a dire humanitarian crisis marked by starvation and isolation. Cut off from external aid since May 26, the town has had no food deliveries, fuel, or transportation access, effectively trapping its remaining inhabitants amid the ongoing conflict.

Vitaly, a local resident who fled Oleshky with his family in mid-September, described surviving the summer by rationing minimal food — often just a single cup of rice or buckwheat daily for the family of three — supplemented by plants gathered from the environment and garden vegetables. As supplies dwindled, they faced the threat of starvation, with only about a month’s worth of food remaining by early August. Vitaly and several dozen others managed to escape by navigating heavily mined roads, known locally as the Road of Death, which connects Oleshky to Radensk. The route is under constant surveillance by drones and is also surrounded by mined river areas, making escape extremely perilous.

Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled head of Oleshky’s military administration, said others attempting to flee have been killed or seriously injured by landmines that cover the only exit path. According to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, approximately 1,700 people remain trapped in Oleshky, including many elderly or disabled residents and around 50 children.

The testimonies of those who have fled depict worsening conditions in the town, which Russia claims to have annexed illegally. The local hospital lacks medicine and is overcrowded with patients who cannot receive proper treatment. Dozens of bodies, many victims of ongoing violence, are reportedly stored in the hospital basement awaiting burial. Residents described eating whatever food they could find, including snails, with some forced to rely on garden preserves or nothing at all. Reports also indicate that Russian soldiers stationed in the town suffer from shortages and have threatened civilians at gunpoint, demanding food and intimidating locals with violence.

Humanitarian efforts remain insufficient. Ukraine’s military managed to deliver a small amount of food to Oleshky via drones in late September, but aid organizations warn this is inadequate to prevent starvation during the approaching winter. Myroslava Kharchenko, a lawyer for Save Ukraine, a group assisting displaced persons, cautioned that those remaining in Oleshky face the risk of dying from hunger as temperatures drop.

Oleshky has been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the February 2022 invasion. The destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam by Russian forces three years ago caused widespread flooding, submerging parts of the town and destroying homes and farmland, leaving the ground largely uncultivable. The town has been without electricity and water supplies since these events, further exacerbating residents’ hardships.

Former residents describe a bleak existence marked by ongoing violence, drone attacks in the streets, and the accumulation of unburied bodies. Russian occupation authorities have forbade locals from burying the dead, citing the need for forensic investigations of alleged Ukrainian war crimes. People accused of attempting to escape or accepting humanitarian aid have reportedly faced abductions and disappearances, contributing to a climate of fear and repression.

Despite the urgent situation, Russian officials deny a humanitarian crisis in Oleshky. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the conditions as “critical” but blamed Kyiv for obstructing aid delivery efforts. In contrast, Ukrainian authorities and human rights organizations accuse Russia of deliberately neglecting civilians in occupied territories and systematically subjecting them to disappearances and abuses.

International concern has been expressed at high levels. Pope Leo XIV, speaking from his recovery in Rome, conveyed deep worry over the humanitarian conditions in occupied Ukrainian areas, including Oleshky, and called for a ceasefire to allow safe delivery of aid and evacuation of civilians.

The ordeal ended for Vitaly and his family when they undertook a grueling five-hour journey on foot along mined roads, carrying only essential belongings and accompanied by neighbors. After reaching Radensk, they traveled through conflict zones and crossed into Russia and then Belarus before returning to Ukraine with assistance from volunteers and official channels. The family now resides temporarily near Kyiv, where Iryna, Vitaly’s wife, continues to recover from the trauma of occupation and flight.

Humanitarian advocates warn that while some have escaped, thousands remain trapped in Oleshky under increasingly lethal and neglectful conditions as winter approaches. Hasanenko lamented the destruction of what was once a prosperous European town and accused Russian forces of deliberately endangering its population. “They came to kill us. So why would they save us?” she said.