Only dozen of Oleshky residents reach Ukrainian-controlled area in September, officials say

Twelve residents of Oleshky, a city in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast, managed to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory in September, according to Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled head of the Oleshky City Military Administration. She said more than 60 people left the city that month, but only a small fraction succeeded in crossing the front line.

The majority either traveled to the nearby village of Radensk, about 15 kilometres away, to obtain food before returning, or stayed in other occupied settlements. Hasanenko explained that many lack documents or have family members who cannot travel, forcing them to go back.

Russian forces have mined roads around Oleshky and maintain checkpoints, while drone attacks and interrogations further hinder civilian movement. Deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Tolokonnikov said Russian troops have placed guns, mortars and mines in residential areas to support attacks across the Dnipro River.

Hasanenko recounted recent incidents in which civilians stepping on mines were injured or killed, describing one case where a woman suffered back and limb injuries and was taken to a hospital on a bicycle, while others were moved in garden trolleys. The local hospital operates without electricity, running water or basic medical supplies, staffed by four elderly doctors who can only provide first-aid treatment.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry estimates that around 2,000 people, including nearly 50 children, remain in Oleshky with severely limited access to food, water, electricity and other essential services, as Russian forces block humanitarian aid.

Oleshky lies on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, less than four kilometres from the regional centre of Kherson, which is under Ukrainian control on the western bank.