Russian troops seize drone-delivered food, mines kill civilian in Oleshky
The Kyiv Independent reported that Russian forces in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky seized food parcels dropped by Ukrainian drones, and that a landmine explosion killed one civilian and wounded four others. Earlier this month, ABC News described a humanitarian crisis in Oleshky, noting that the town’s population had dwindled to a few thousand and that residents faced starvation, lack of medicine and constant danger from mines and drones, prompting evacuations. The Kyiv Independent said the Council of Europe’s human-rights commissioner called for an immediate local ceasefire amid worsening shortages, while the United States pledged $27 million to help return abducted children.
Ukraine’s foreign minister warned, as reported by Українська правда, that residents were forced to eat grass due to extreme hunger and urged international bodies to provide aid and evacuate civilians. Euronews reported that Ukrainian troops used drones to drop about four tonnes of food into Oleshky, where roughly 2,000 people remain, but Russian forces blocked further humanitarian deliveries and restricted evacuation. An investigative report cited by the Kyiv Independent linked the 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade and the 331st Guards Parachute Regiment to the conditions in Oleshky.
