MOSCOW, OCTOBER 17, 2026 : As winter approaches, residents trapped in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky face an increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis, with severe shortages of food and medicine, destroyed infrastructure, dangerous mined roads and no confirmed agreement for a civilian evacuation.
Located along the Dnipro River in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, Oleshky has been devastated by years of war. The city, which once had a population of approximately 24,000, is now believed to have fewer than 2,000 residents remaining, according to accounts cited by The Associated Press.
With electricity, heating and running water unavailable, civilians are struggling to survive amid damaged buildings and the constant threat of drone attacks. The prospect of another harsh winter has intensified fears that hunger, disease and a lack of essential services could claim more lives.
‘The Road of Death’: A Desperate Escape
One 40-year-old former hairdresser described walking approximately 20 kilometres along a dangerous route to escape Oleshky in August. The road was partially mined, and the journey exposed her to the risk of shelling and other attacks.
She told The Associated Press that she feared every step could be her last. She spoke anonymously because of concerns for her security.
The route to the village of Radensk, which is also under Russian occupation but lies farther from the front line, has become known as the “road of death” because of reports of bodies left along the way and the dangers faced by people attempting to escape.
The former resident said an acquaintance who tried to deliver food to Oleshky was killed when his car came under fire. She recalled seeing a photograph of him lying in blood, with bread and chicken legs scattered nearby.
The account illustrates the extraordinary risks faced by people trying to bring basic necessities to relatives or reach safer locations.
A City Devastated by War and Flooding
Russian forces captured Oleshky at the beginning of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Shelling and fighting damaged buildings and essential infrastructure across the city.
The situation deteriorated further in June 2023, when floodwaters inundated the area following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. An Associated Press investigation concluded that the explosion was likely caused by the Russian military.
The disaster killed hundreds of people, according to the report, and added to the destruction already caused by the war.
Today, residents who remain in Oleshky reportedly search damaged buildings for food, attempt to grow vegetables in small gardens and draw water from wells. Firewood is used for warmth because conventional heating is unavailable.
Hospital and Morgue Face Critical Conditions
The humanitarian emergency extends to the city’s medical facilities.
Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled head of Oleshky’s Ukrainian military administration, said the hospital basement contained around 100 bodies. She also described a situation in which bodies in the city morgue were decomposing because of the lack of electricity.
The United Nations human rights office reported that the last regular road delivery of food reached Oleshky on May 26.
Although Russian-installed local officials said they delivered two tonnes of humanitarian aid earlier in October, they acknowledged that the amount was insufficient to meet the needs of the remaining population.
The UN office also reported that the hospital lacked medicines and basic medical supplies. Drone attacks reportedly prevented ambulances from reaching patients, while transferring the injured or seriously ill to other locations remained unsafe.
A resident who escaped to Russian-held Mariupol described conditions in Oleshky as effectively unlivable.
Children and Elderly Residents Remain Trapped
According to Hasanenko, at least 35 children are still believed to be in Oleshky. Other residents include elderly people and individuals who cannot move without assistance.
Some evacuees who reach safer settlements reportedly attempt to return to the city carrying food because children, elderly parents or other vulnerable relatives remain behind.
These journeys are particularly dangerous because roads are mined and vehicles may come under fire. Ukrainian military representatives have said that both Russian forces and Ukrainian drone operations have contributed to the mining hazards along routes in the wider area.
The former hairdresser said Russian-installed authorities appeared to have abandoned the remaining population, although that characterisation reflects her personal account.
Ukraine Calls for Humanitarian Evacuation
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly appealed for a local ceasefire that would allow civilians to leave Oleshky safely and enable humanitarian supplies to reach the city.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy raised the issue at an international forum in Poland on October 12, describing Oleshky as a city that had been devastated and calling for its residents to be allowed to return to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
The two sides have discussed a possible temporary ceasefire and humanitarian corridor, but no agreement has been reached, according to the UN human rights office.
Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, has said that Russia has not provided clear, verifiable guarantees needed to conduct a humanitarian operation.
Russian-installed officials, meanwhile, have cited mined roads and residents’ reluctance to leave as obstacles to evacuation. Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-appointed governor of the occupied part of Kherson region, said earlier in October that assistance would be offered to residents who wished to leave.
The former hairdresser said residents had repeatedly appealed to local authorities for a humanitarian corridor and submitted lists of people seeking evacuation, but no operation followed.
Pope Leo XIV Urges Ceasefire and Aid Deliveries
The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV urged Russian President Vladimir Putin during a telephone conversation on Friday to support a ceasefire that would allow food and medicine to reach Oleshky and civilians to be evacuated safely.
According to the Vatican, the appeal focused on humanitarian assistance and the protection of the remaining population.
The Kremlin said Putin expressed support for Vatican efforts to protect civilians and secure essential supplies, and indicated a willingness to cooperate.
However, as of October 17, the report described no confirmed agreement establishing a safe evacuation operation.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has said it is prepared to assist, but only if both countries agree and adequate security guarantees are in place.
Ukrainian Military Says Drone Deliveries Have Provided Some Aid
Ukrainian Lieutenant Yevhen Voronetskyi, a spokesman for the 34th Separate Marine Brigade, said Ukrainian forces had been using drones to transport humanitarian supplies across the Dnipro River for at least a year.
He said more than seven tonnes of supplies had been delivered since September, including canned food, flour and other bread-making ingredients, buckwheat, rice, sugar, sweets for children, hygiene kits and medicines, including insulin.
The drones are reportedly capable of carrying loads of at least 20 kilograms per flight.
Voronetskyi cautioned, however, that these deliveries were not intended to sustain the population throughout winter. He said the aim was to provide enough assistance to help residents regain their strength, prepare their belongings and attempt to leave the city.
Winter Raises the Stakes for Urgent Action
The humanitarian situation in Oleshky highlights the risks faced by civilians living close to active front lines in areas under military occupation.
With food deliveries severely disrupted, healthcare facilities struggling, infrastructure destroyed and escape routes dangerous, the remaining population faces mounting threats as temperatures fall.
International humanitarian law requires an occupying power to ensure that civilians under its control have access to essential supplies and humanitarian relief. The United Nations, the Vatican and humanitarian organisations have all highlighted the urgent need for safe access and an agreed evacuation arrangement.
The immediate challenge is to establish a credible ceasefire and secure humanitarian corridor before winter makes an already dangerous situation even more deadly.
