Fewer than 2,000 residents remaining in the front-line city of Oleshky in Russian-occupied Ukraine face acute shortages of food, medicine and basic services as winter approaches, with no agreement in sight to establish an evacuation corridor.
Oleshky, located on the Dnipro River dividing Ukrainian forces from Russian troops, has been deprived of electricity, heating and running water for months. Roads leading out of the settlement are heavily mined and lined with destroyed vehicles, while constant drone surveillance leaves residents fearful of venturing outside.
Once home to approximately 24,000 people, the city fell to Russian forces on the first day of the full-scale invasion in 2022. It suffered heavy shelling and widespread destruction, followed by devastating floods in June 2023 when the Kakhovka Dam collapsed. Those who remain now survive by drawing water from wells, burning firewood for heat, and scavenging or growing vegetables in gardens.
Both sides blame each other for the deepening humanitarian crisis. Russia alleges that Ukrainian forces are blocking supplies, while Kyiv accuses Moscow of holding residents hostage. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 12 that Oleshky had been “razed to the ground” and demanded that Russian forces unblock the city. The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV called President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire for relief deliveries and evacuations, with the Kremlin expressing readiness to cooperate.
According to the United Nations human rights office, the last regular road delivery of food occurred on May 26. Russian-installed administrators acknowledged delivering two tons of aid this month but conceded it fell far short of requirements. Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled head of the Ukrainian military administration for the city, reported that 100 bodies are currently stored in the hospital basement, while morgue facilities lack power.
Civilians trying to flee must traverse a perilous 20-kilometre stretch to the occupied village of Radensk, a route Hasanenko called “the road of death” because uncollected corpses remain along the path. An explosion on the road earlier this month killed four people and severely injured an 86-year-old man.
Negotiations over a temporary ceasefire and safe transit have produced no results. The Ukrainian human rights commissioner's office said Moscow has failed to offer verifiable security guarantees, while Russian-installed authorities claim mined roads impede departures. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it is prepared to assist evacuations only if both sides agree and ensure civilian safety.
