Key facts
- One person was killed and four injured by landmines in occupied Oleshky over the past day.
- Russian forces confiscated food delivered by Ukrainian military drones.
- Russian troops questioned residents found with non-Russian products.
- The local hospital operates without basic medical supplies, electricity, or running water.
- Around 2,000 people, including nearly 50 children, remain in Oleshky with limited access to services.
One person was killed and four others were injured by landmines in occupied Oleshky, Ukraine, over the past day, officials said. Russian forces also confiscated food delivered by Ukrainian military drones and questioned residents found with non-Russian products, according to the local military administration head. The town faces severe shortages of food, water, and electricity, with mines and interrogations making safe evacuation impossible.
Tetiana Hasanenko, exiled head of the Oleshky City Military Administration, confirmed reports of the landmine incidents, stating that four civilians were injured and one man was killed while attempting to leave or collect nuts. She described how the injured were transported to a hospital operating without basic medical supplies, electricity, or running water, with only four elderly doctors attempting to provide care.
Since the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023, the hospital has struggled with fuel for generators, Hasanenko said. Ukrainian forces had previously conducted food drops, with the latest totaling around four metric tons, according to Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Some residents confirmed receiving packages, while others did not, and Russian troops seized some of the delivered food, Hasanenko added.
Hasanenko also stated that Russian forces question residents with non-Russian products, viewing it as evidence of cooperation with the Ukrainian military. Residents have also disappeared after being detained by Russian forces, with one family taken to a basement and their fate unknown.
Prokudin accused Russian forces of attempting to disrupt aid deliveries by shooting down drones, confiscating humanitarian supplies, and detaining residents for receiving aid, subjecting them to violence. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported no food supplies reached the town between May 26 and June 24.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Sept. 30 that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing to stage propaganda videos of local residents forced to claim they were happy and grateful to Russian forces, as part of a campaign to deny the humanitarian crisis. He urged international organizations to increase pressure on Moscow for humanitarian access.
Earlier, on Sept. 25, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty had expressed concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation, warning of serious risks to civilians, including children, due to lack of access to food, medicine, and basic services. O'Flaherty noted that international humanitarian law requires occupying authorities to ensure civilian access to aid.