Thousands of Civilians Trapped in Oleshky Amid Food and Medical Shortages
Around 2,000 residents of the Ukrainian town of Oleshky are stuck between Russian and Ukrainian forces, facing severe shortages of food, medicine and safe evacuation routes.
About 2,000 civilians remain confined in Oleshky, a small town on the southern front line of the Ukraine war, as Russian forces fire from the city and Ukrainian troops return fire from across the Dnipro River. Continuous drone attacks, mined areas and destroyed roads have largely halted the delivery of supplies and organized evacuations.
Residents report boiling their last pots of soup and scavenging ruined basements for food, while the local hospital operates without electricity, running water or essential medicines. > "The only thing they can do is stop the bleeding. There are no medicines," said Tetiana Hasanenko, the exiled mayor of Oleshky.
Ukraine alleges that Russian forces are blocking humanitarian aid, confiscating food and using civilians as human shields. The Russian government acknowledges a humanitarian crisis but attributes the lack of aid to Ukrainian actions that impede departures and deliveries.
In a separate incident, six cats were reportedly rescued from the town by a drone-delivered airlift, according to Ukrainska Pravda.