The southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky remains under Russian occupation and faces severe humanitarian conditions, with residents reporting widespread food shortages and limited access to basic services. The population has declined significantly from an estimated 24,000 before the full-scale invasion to approximately 6,000 people currently, including about 200 children. Residents describe the city as experiencing constant shelling and existing under what Ukraine’s Foreign Minister characterizes as a “full blockade” by Russian forces.
The humanitarian crisis has intensified as the availability of food has become critically limited. According to residents interviewed, the last successful food delivery to the city occurred in May. Many inhabitants have resorted to consuming garden weeds as their primary food source, with local residents sharing information about which varieties are safe to eat through messaging applications. Daily meals for some residents consist of bread, occasionally supplemented with tomato, honey, or tea. Commercial shops remain closed, leaving residents unable to purchase clothing, hygiene products, or food supplies. The broader area has had no electricity, gas, or water supply since the Kakhovka dam was damaged in 2023.
Casualty figures remain difficult to establish with precision. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has recorded at least 29 civilians killed and 54 injured in Oleshky and nearby Hola Prystan this year. However, local volunteers tracking deaths estimate the actual number may be substantially higher, with one volunteer reporting approximately 1,200 deaths documented since summer 2022. Russian occupation authorities have restricted burial of bodies in the city, requiring post-mortem examinations by Russian doctors for those killed by military means—examinations that are not possible under current conditions.
Children remaining in the area face particular hardship, experiencing malnutrition, limited medical services, and lack of educational access. The city has only one partially operational hospital that opens intermittently to perform critical amputations. Ukrainian authorities have attempted to deliver humanitarian supplies but report having been unsuccessful in recent months. The Kremlin acknowledged earlier this week that Oleshky faces critical supply shortages while attributing responsibility to Kyiv and stating that Russian military forces were working to address the situation.
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