Ukraine has called for international pressure to evacuate civilians from occupied Oleshki after the town's residents were left without regular food supplies and medical assistance. About 2,000 people, including 35 children, are still there without reliable access to healthcare, electricity, gas and basic services.
“Oleski cannot wait. Every day of delay costs lives“, said Ukrainian Minister for Municipalities, Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vitaly Bezgin during a meeting in Brussels. He called on the European Union and European governments to increase political pressure on Russia.
According to Bezgin, Russia is blocking humanitarian access to the town, hindering supplies and refusing to agree on a humanitarian corridor. The Ukrainian side is demanding an organized evacuation of those remaining in Oleshki, as well as the safe delivery of food, medicine and other essential goods.
The last regular delivery was in May
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission reported that the last regular food delivery by land was on May 26. According to the mission, the lack of supplies, mines and the constant threat of drones have made movement and access to medical assistance extremely dangerous. The last grocery store in the city ceased regular operations in January due to a lack of products.
In late September, Ukrainian forces managed to deliver about 4 tons of food by drone. According to testimonies from residents and Ukrainian officials, the aid was not enough to stop the deepening humanitarian crisis. The Associated Press reports that the town has no electricity, heating or running water, and the roads are mined and littered with abandoned cars.
The UN has recorded reports of at least 29 civilians killed and 54 injured in Oleshki and Hola Pristan in 2026. On June 2, a convoy carrying food and humanitarian aid to Oleshki was hit by a mine. One person was killed and three were injured. The mission said four injured patients at the local hospital needed to be transferred to Skadovsk, but this was not possible.
No agreed evacuation mechanism
Oleshki has been under Russian occupation since the first days of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Before the war, about 24,000 people lived in the town. Following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023, the area was hit by widespread flooding, further damaging homes and infrastructure.
In September, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, described the situation as a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis. He called for a local ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access and safe evacuation, stressing that civilians, including children, were at high risk of death.
Both sides have traded accusations. Russia says Ukraine is obstructing supplies and evacuations, while Kiev says Russian forces are blocking access and effectively holding civilians captive. According to the latest public data, no agreement has been reached on an organized humanitarian corridor.
In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pope Leo XIV also called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medicine and the safe evacuation of civilians. The Kremlin said Putin supports the Vatican's efforts and is ready to cooperate, but a specific evacuation mechanism has not yet been announced.
Sources: apnews.com, washingtonpost.com