Civilians in Russian-occupied Oleshky face starvation amid 'hell on earth'

Civilians in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky are facing dire conditions, with reports of starvation and a complete halt in food supplies since May. The city, located across the Dnipro River from Kherson, is described as "a hell on earth" by those familiar with the situation.

According to messages from residents, food supplies have run out, forcing people to subsist on one meal a day made from foraged weeds and vegetables grown in flower boxes. One woman reported losing significant weight, going from 110kg to 67kg, due to the lack of proper food.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has raised the alarm at the UN, warning of a humanitarian catastrophe and accusing Russia of deliberately making life impossible for the remaining 2,000 civilians. He stated that Russia is the "only obstacle" to evacuation and that they are "starving them to death."

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, acknowledged a "critical situation" but blamed Ukrainian forces for blocking humanitarian supplies. However, Ukrainian officials counter that Russian forces have expanded minefields and drone cover since May, completely halting the trickle of supplies that had previously reached residents.

Compounding the issue, Ukrainian drone campaigns against Russian supply lines have also led to shortages for Russian troops, who in turn reportedly steal food from civilians. Residents have described Russian soldiers digging up potatoes and onions from yards and taking food from the elderly, telling one woman that people "soon to be living in heaven" should subsist on water.

Attempts to drop food by drones have been largely unsuccessful, with supplies allegedly seized by Russian soldiers. Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky military administration, noted that access to the city became increasingly difficult late last year due to high-density minefields and drone targeting of vehicles. She also reported an incident where a 74-year-old man was allegedly murdered by soldiers after refusing them access to a cellar where he was searching for stored food.

Ukrainian officials believe that Russia is deliberately preventing the evacuation of civilians to use them as human shields against a potential Ukrainian counterattack. Hasanenko described the current conditions as the worst in the city's nearly thousand-year history, with dead bodies reportedly lying in the streets and hospital basements.