Russia has isolated Oleshky: the city is left without assistance
The humanitarian situation is deteriorating in the occupied town of Oleshky on the left bank of the Kherson region. Due to the destroyed Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, constant shelling, mined roads, and a lack of access to aid, the city’s residents have effectively been left without a normal supply of food. The Washington Post reports that people find themselves in conditions that increasingly resemble a struggle for survival.
Oleshky has been under the control of Russian troops for several years and is effectively isolated from territory controlled by Ukraine. As the publication notes, the situation was significantly exacerbated by events after 2022, when Russian troops destroyed the Antonivsky Bridge across the Dnipro River, and in 2023, blew up the dam at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
After the city was flooded due to the destruction of the hydroelectric plant, many areas of Oleshky sustained significant damage. Currently, most routes to the city remain dangerous—the roads are mined, and movement is monitored by Russian drones. As a result, it is nearly impossible to deliver food, medicine, and other essential aid.
Anna Gusarska, a journalist for The Washington Post, notes that she learned about the situation in Oleshky from American journalist Zarina Zabryska, who is currently in Kherson. According to her, attempts to contact people who remained in the occupied city proved extremely difficult. “I tried to reach people who are still in the city by phone. It turned out to be nearly impossible. There is no landline internet anymore, and mobile service is unreliable: Russian SIM cards are controlled by the occupiers, and Ukrainian ones barely get a signal,” the journalist said.
Due to the lack of stable communication, residents of Oleshky have effectively lost the ability to report their problems or receive information from the outside. People remain dependent on the occupying authorities, who control access to resources and movement. A separate problem is the food shortage. According to The Washington Post, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find basic goods in the city, and there are virtually no opportunities to bring in food from outside.
Local residents find themselves in a situation where any attempt to leave or receive aid involves significant risks. Due to the Russian occupation and the blockade of access to the city, Oleshky remains virtually cut off from the world, as reported by The Washington Post.
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