Oleshky: Eating garden weeds to survive in Russian-occupied city cut off from food and water

Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since 2022 and its people are now trapped

"Two more civilians died last night," says Halia, before her phone connection cuts off.

Three days later she tells me the two who were killed were a husband and wife. She knew them well.

They were then killed by a drone. Four separate sources have confirmed the deaths of two civilians carrying food on 20 September.

Hers is just one of the many harrowing accounts the BBC has heard from residents in the front-line city in southern Kherson in recent days.

It is also one of the cities where thousands of people lost their homes after the collapse of Nova Khakovka Dam in 2023, flooding buildings up to their rooftops. Ukraine and Nato accused Russia of blowing up the dam, while Russia blamed Ukraine.

Residents say children remaining in wider Oleshky are suffering from malnutrition, a lack of medical services, and are "degrading" without access to education.

Ukraine has attempted to deliver supplies to the area but has not had success in recent months.

To stay or risk the 'Road of Death' - Ukrainian civilians trapped in frontline cityPublished6 May

Earlier this week the Kremlin acknowledged that Oleshky faced "a critical situation" and "problems with supplies of food and medicine", but added that "Russia's military was working to resolve them" and blamed Kyiv.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Sybiha called on the international community to pressure Russia into allowing humanitarian aid into the city.

Oleshky was flooded after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in June 2023.