Civilians in Russian-occupied city face starvation or ‘road of death’

A city with dwindling supplies

Oleshky lies on the Dnipro River, across the front line from Ukrainian forces. Essential food and medical supplies have been virtually absent for months, as the population has fallen to fewer than 2,000.

Remaining residents reportedly search destroyed buildings for food, grow vegetables in gardens and draw water from wells. They burn firewood for warmth, while bodies at the city morgue decompose without electricity.

The U.N. human rights office said the last regular road delivery of food was on 26 May. Russian-installed officials said they delivered two tonnes of aid this month, while acknowledging it was far from enough.

Medical care and escape at risk

The U.N. human rights office said the hospital lacks medicine and basic supplies. Drone attacks prevent ambulances from reaching patients, and taking them elsewhere is unsafe. A resident who fled in August told The Associated Press that she left by a route locally known as “the road of death.” She said an acquaintance bringing food was killed when his car came under fire.

Lt. Yevhen Voronetskyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s 34th Separate Marine Brigade, said Russian troops mined roads around Oleshky. He said Ukrainian drones also remotely mined forest paths used by Russian forces.

No corridor agreement reached

Russia says Ukraine is blocking supplies and evacuations; Kyiv says Moscow is effectively holding civilians hostage. Both sides have discussed a temporary ceasefire and humanitarian corridor, but the U.N. human rights office said no agreement was reached.

The former hairdresser said residents had repeatedly asked local authorities for a corridor and provided lists of people seeking to leave, without result. Russian-installed officials said mined roads make evacuation impossible and that some residents do not want to go.

Calls for urgent assistance

President Volodymyr Zelensky described Oleshky’s suffering at an international forum in Poland on 12 October, saying the city had been “razed to the ground.” The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV urged Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Friday to support a ceasefire for food and medicine deliveries and safe civilian evacuations. The Kremlin said Putin backed Vatican efforts to protect residents and secure supplies, and was ready to cooperate.

The U.N. human rights office said the issue was urgent as winter approached. Voronetskyi said the food shortages had lasted for months and were getting worse.