The Vice President of the European Parliament has gone on a hunger strike in response to the humanitarian crisis in Oleshky

Pina Picerno, Vice President of the European Parliament, has gone on a hunger strike to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky. She also called on the public and government officials to join this nonviolent protest.

According to the Vice President of the European Parliament, the goal of the hunger strike is to draw the international community’s attention to the critical situation in Oleshky. Picerno is calling for the city to be provided with humanitarian aid and for conditions to be created that allow the civilian population to leave safely.

“This struggle cannot be mine alone. I call on associations, citizens, and national and local institutions to join this major nonviolent campaign. We must demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, access to food and medicine, and the ability to safely evacuate civilians who wish to leave the city,” Picerno wrote.

With her campaign, Pina Picerno also decided to support the efforts of Pope Leo XIV and “all those who are doing everything possible to prevent a humanitarian tragedy.”

The Vice President of the European Parliament is calling on people to join the initiative and collectively demand urgent humanitarian measures for the residents of Oleshky.

Pina Picerno announced this on the social media platform X.

Recently, the Ukrainian military delivered over 4 metric tons of humanitarian aid to residents of the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. People were provided with food and medicine, as the city is effectively blockaded, and some residents have been left without money and unable to leave. According to the latest data from the Kherson Regional State Administration, there may still be about 30 children in Oleshky.

The Kherson Regional Military Administration emphasizes that the Ukrainian side will continue to strive to deliver essential food and medicine to the residents of Oleshky. For people who cannot leave and have been left without means of subsistence, such aid can be critically important. Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, spoke about this in an interview with Ukrainian Radio.

During a phone conversation with Pope Leo XIV, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue of the humanitarian situation in the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky in the Kherson region. The head of state expressed hope that humanitarian aid could be delivered to the city and that civilian residents could be safely evacuated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Oleshky in the Kherson region, which is occupied by Russian troops, is an example of genocide. According to him, the invaders have deprived local residents, particularly children, of access to food, and the city has suffered extensive destruction.