Ukrainian foreign minister warns of severe food shortage in occupied Oleshky

Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the humanitarian situation in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, Kherson region, has become critical. He told the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other agencies that the city has almost no food left and that reports indicate some civilians are resorting to eating grass and weeds to survive.

"People there cannot survive on statements of concern. Humanitarian access and safe evacuation must become a reality, because every day matters," Sybiha said. He added that medicines, clean water, electricity and medical care are increasingly difficult to obtain, and that children are among those suffering. The minister blamed the Russian occupation for the worsening conditions and called for immediate delivery of aid and safe evacuation for those wishing to leave. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations said the last food deliveries to Oleshky occurred in late May, and estimated that more than 6,000 people, including around 200 children, remain in the city and surrounding area. Ukrainian military footage has described the town as largely abandoned.