The city of Oleshky, located in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, is facing a severe humanitarian crisis as its roughly 2,000 remaining residents endure extreme shortages of food, water, and medical supplies amid constant danger. The city, which lies across the Dnipro River from Kherson, has been cut off by intense fighting, mines, and drone attacks, creating a situation described by survivors as a “complete blockade.”
Russian forces captured Oleshky on the first day of the war, February 24, 2022. After losing control of nearby Kherson in November 2022, Russian troops retreated across the river to Oleshky, reinforcing their positions with mines and artillery to continue operations against Ukrainian-held Kherson. The river, once a lifeline for the region, now serves as a heavily contested frontline.
Residents remain trapped amid ruins of their city, with destroyed infrastructure preventing aid deliveries or safe evacuations. The humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly: food deliveries by road ceased on May 26 after several aid drivers were killed. Water, electricity, gas, heat, and healthcare services are largely unavailable. Civilians report surviving on diminishing rations and local harvests, while facing constant drone surveillance and shelling. Starvation and despair are widespread among the population, including approximately 40 children.
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of using starvation as a weapon and exploiting residents as human shields to prevent their evacuation. Kyiv officials say Russian troops intercept aid drones, intimidate residents attempting to collect supplies, and confiscate food. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called on the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross to facilitate safe civilian evacuations, emphasizing that aid should not be delivered under attack.
The Kremlin acknowledged a “genuine humanitarian catastrophe” but blamed Ukraine for the crisis, asserting that Ukrainian troops prevent people from leaving and obstruct food and water deliveries with drone interference, according to spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov.
Despite these challenges, some aid efforts continue. Ukraine has attempted to deliver supplies by drone, though many shipments have been intercepted or blocked by Russian forces. Residents have been seen risking dangerous travel on foot, bicycles, and motorbikes to escape, with many losing hope of surviving the coming winter.
Video footage and eyewitness accounts illustrate the devastation in Oleshky. Once a city of more than 20,000, its streets are littered with debris, burned vehicles, and unburied bodies. Survivors and displaced leaders maintain contact with trapped residents, relaying urgent pleas for evacuation, basic aid, and assistance with burials. Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled city leader, describes receiving messages from people increasingly weak and fearful.
The dire conditions in Oleshky underscore the broader stalemate on Ukraine’s southern front, where ongoing clashes and territorial disputes have thwarted any negotiated truces or humanitarian corridors. Commanders from Ukrainian forces across the river express sorrow over the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire, calling it a tragedy affecting their fellow Ukrainians.
Efforts to organize safe passage for civilians or establish humanitarian relief continue to face significant obstacles, leaving those trapped in Oleshky vulnerable to further suffering as the conflict endures.