Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the actions of Russian forces in Oleshky as genocide, emphasizing the ongoing humanitarian crisis faced by residents under occupation. “This is not about hunger. This is about genocide. We are trying to help these people, but they are currently under occupation,” he stated.
Zelensky pointed out the extensive damage inflicted on Oleshky due to Russian occupation. He expressed gratitude towards nations and individuals aiding the return of Ukrainian citizens, acknowledging the complexity and pain involved in these efforts.
Oleshky has been under occupation since the early days of the full-scale war, with Russian forces blocking the city and restricting food supplies. Due to landmines, drone attacks, and the lack of safe routes, residents have been unable to escape or receive humanitarian aid. On May 7, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky and other occupied areas of Kherson region.
Initially, the occupiers denied the existence of a humanitarian crisis in the city, but later acknowledged it while blaming Ukraine for the situation. Ukrainian military forces managed to deliver approximately four tons of food supplies to Oleshky residents using drones in late September, and similar deliveries were made in early October. However, occupiers have shot down supply drones and confiscated food from civilians, accusing those found with non-Russian products of collaborating with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to Tetyana Hasanenko, head of the city’s military administration.
On September 30, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that Russia was preparing to stage dozens of videos in Oleshky, coercing locals to claim on camera that they are “happy, well-fed, and grateful to the Russian occupiers.”
