Humanitarian Disaster Unfolds in Besieged Frontline Ukrainian City of Oleshky
A humanitarian disaster unfolds in the besieged Ukrainian frontline city of Oleshky, where 2,000 residents face starvation, relentless drone strikes, and total isolation.
Very little information leaks out of the besieged city of Oleshky, a ghost town on the frontline of the war, cut off by landmines and drones from the rest of the Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. However, one thing is clear, as a New York Times investigation reveals: a genuine humanitarian disaster is currently unfolding. There is no food, no security, and no way out.
A Humanitarian Crisis on the Frontline
"In the fall we will surely die," one resident wrote last summer. "I am already starving. I am getting weaker by the day." Another resident recounted that they were cooking their last pot of borscht from meager ingredients, while a third described a total siege with drones and relentless fires, "like a horror movie." These messages, coming from about 2,000 civilians remaining in the city, including some 40 children, were shared with The New York Times by Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled leader of the city.
The fate of Oleshky illustrates the uncompromising nature of the war. Located on the firing line of the southern front, the city is separated by the Dnipro River from the city of Kherson. Russian forces attack Kherson across the river, while Ukrainian forces strike back. Destroyed infrastructure, swarms of drones, and numerous landmines make it difficult for residents to leave or for aid to enter. The last food shipment to arrive overland was on May 26.
Mutual Accusations and Devastation
"In the fall we will surely die," one resident wrote last summer. "I am already starving. I am getting weaker by the day."
Ukraine blames Russia for the crisis. According to Kyiv, Moscow attacks Ukrainian drones attempting to drop aid and uses civilians as human shields for fear that if they leave, the Russian military will lose its grip on the city. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on the UN and the Red Cross to find a way to safely evacuate the civilians. Conversely, the Kremlin acknowledged that a real humanitarian disaster is taking place in the city, but blamed Ukrainian forces for preventing people from leaving and disrupting food and water supplies via drones.
Sights in the city are described as a true apocalypse. Corpses lie in the streets awaiting burial, and starving dogs have been seen eating human remains. Oleksandr, 60, and his wife, who managed to escape with great difficulty while waving white handkerchiefs at armed drones, described the perilous 24-kilometer journey between life and death. Friends who tried to smuggle food into the city afterward were killed when their car hit a landmine, marking the end of overland supplies. Now, those remaining in Oleshky are forced to survive on meager food scraps ahead of the approaching winter.
