No food has been reaching the occupied town of Oleshky since late May – UN

Food supplies to the city of Oleshky in the Kherson region, which is temporarily occupied by Russian forces, have completely ceased as of May 26.

This was reported by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (UNHRMMU). The evacuation of the population and the delivery of humanitarian aid have been blocked due to constant attacks by short-range drones and heavy mining of the area, although the mission is currently unable to determine responsibility for specific attacks. 

According to local residents, the last grocery store in Oleshky closed back in January, and medical care is currently provided only in emergency cases, as ambulances have stopped responding to calls. International observers have documented at least 29 civilian deaths and 54 civilian injuries in Oleshky and Hola Prystan since the beginning of 2026. MIPLU Chair Daniel Belle emphasized the urgent need for a local ceasefire to save lives and reminded that, under international law, it is the occupying power that is obligated to provide the population with food and medicine. Discussions are currently underway between Ukraine and Russia regarding a humanitarian ceasefire in this area, but no concrete agreements have been reached yet.

This was reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

As a reminder, in April 2026, after a two-week hiatus, only two vehicles carrying goods for sale were able to reach the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region.

About 1,700 residents currently remain in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region, although the town’s population exceeded 24,000 before the full-scale invasion began. Among those who have not yet left are more than 40 children. At the same time, it is currently impossible to leave the city or enter it due to restrictions imposed by the occupying authorities.