In the occupied town of Oleshky, about 2,000 people are without food and water
About 2,000 people remain in the occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. Among them are nearly 50 children. According to Alexander Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, the town is under a humanitarian blockade, and residents are forced to survive without food, water, or electricity.
Prokudin made this statement on September 27. “In the occupied town of Oleshky, the Russians are holding about 2,000 of our people hostage, including nearly 50 children. They are forced to survive without food, electricity, or water,” he said.
According to the head of the Regional State Administration, the most pressing problem remains that people are unable to leave the city freely. “The Russians have effectively deprived them of the opportunity to escape this hell, and that is the worst part,” Prokudin said.
At the same time, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly provided information on the number of people remaining in Oleshky. In April, the Kherson Regional State Administration reported that there were approximately 2,000 residents in the city. In September, Ukrainian authorities again cited a figure of about 2,000 people, including about 50 children.
There is almost no food left in the city
The food situation in Oleshky has been deteriorating in recent months. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission reported that, as of June 24, no food supplies had reached the city since May 26.
In September, Ukrainian sources also reported a worsening humanitarian situation. On September 26, journalist Oleg Baturin stated that he had spoken with people who had left Oleshky, and their acquaintances who remained in the city had told him about food shortages. According to him, there are reports of deaths from starvation. This information comes from residents and the journalist; it cannot be independently verified under the conditions of occupation.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga also stated on September 26 that residents of Oleshky are starving and that access to clean water, medicine, electricity, and medical care is becoming increasingly difficult.
Ukraine is trying to deliver food via drones
Prokudin stated that the Ukrainian side is not leaving people without assistance. According to him, since March, efforts have been made to deliver food to the occupied town of Oleshky using drones. “Instead of loud statements, we have chosen the path of concrete action. Since March, together with a unit of the 11th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine and defenders from the 34th Separate Marine Brigade ‘Borysfen,’ we have been systematically delivering food across the Dnipro River using drones,” said the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration.
According to him, one of the largest such operations was recently carried out. Prokudin stated that the 30th Marine Corps, the “Grim” tactical group, the 34th Marine Brigade “Borysfen,” the “Bolgarichi” unit of the 11th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, the 34th Regiment of the National Guard, and the 79th Border Guard Detachment. “We delivered about 4,000 metric tons of food directly to 100 designated locations in the city,” Prokudin noted.
At the same time, he stated that Russian troops are attempting to obstruct the delivery of aid. “Russian troops are shooting down drones carrying provisions and cynically confiscating or reselling food intended for children and the elderly,” said the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration. These claims by the Ukrainian side cannot currently be independently verified without access to the occupied town of Oleshky.
People may be detained for receiving aid
According to Prokudin, the occupying forces are also persecuting local residents who try to receive humanitarian aid. “For receiving humanitarian aid packages, the occupiers are detaining residents of Oleshky, throwing them ‘into the basement,’ brutally beating them, and resorting to violence,” he stated.
Earlier, Ukrainian authorities had already reported problems with the evacuation from Oleshky. According to the Kherson Regional State Administration, organizing the evacuation of people from the city remains extremely difficult. On September 16, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that, following negotiations, the Russian side had not confirmed its readiness to carry out a humanitarian evacuation of civilians from the Oleshky area. In June, the Oleshky City Military Administration also reported that the Russians had not organized the evacuation of residents, and that those who are able are leaving on their own and putting themselves in danger.
What’s Happening in Oleshky
Oleshky is located in the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region. Following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, Russian shelling, and prolonged hostilities, a significant portion of the city’s infrastructure has been destroyed. Ukrainian authorities describe the situation in Oleshky as a humanitarian blockade. According to the UN, food supplies did not reach the city from at least May 26 through June 24. Reports from Ukrainian authorities and residents in September indicate that normal supplies have still not been restored.
The Ukrainian side continues to stress the need for the safe evacuation of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid. At the same time, due to the occupation and ongoing hostilities, it is currently virtually impossible to independently verify the situation directly in the city. Prokudin assured that Ukrainian authorities and the military will continue to do everything possible to help the residents of Oleshky. He also emphasized that deliberately blocking civilians’ access to food and other essential aid may constitute war crimes and must be subject to legal review. This was reported on Facebook by Alexander Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional State Administration.
Since the evening of September 26, Russian troops have attacked the Nikopol and Synelnykiv districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region more than 20 times. The occupiers used drones and artillery; one person was wounded as a result of the strikes. A business and a market in the region were damaged, and fires broke out.
On the night of September 27, a Russian drone struck a non-residential building in the Solomyanskyi district of Kyiv. A fire broke out after the strike, and while extinguishing it, rescue workers discovered the body of a man. At another location, a drone caused a fire in a car repair shop.
On September 26, Russian troops killed three residents of the Donetsk region, and five more people were wounded. Two of the fatalities were in Kramatorsk, and another was in Shabelkivka.
Over the past 24 hours, Russian troops again attacked the Kherson region with aircraft, drones, and artillery. Critical and social infrastructure facilities, a high-rise building, and nine private homes were hit. One person was injured as a result of the Russian shelling.
