Kenneth Glad
When war cuts off a community from the outside world, simple survival turns into a daily struggle. Thousands of ordinary people can quickly find themselves trapped in forgotten corners where basic supplies no longer reach. For those living under occupation, every passing day becomes a fight just to stay alive.
Around 2,000 residents, including 60 children, remain stranded in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky. Once a thriving farming hub along the Dnipro River, the town fell to Russian forces in February 2022 and now lies in ruins.
Conditions inside have turned desperate. According to The Guardian, residents are forced to eat weeds to survive while bodies lie uncollected in the streets.
Communication is scarce, but frantic messages still filter out. One local woman told the newspaper that her weight dropped from 110 kilograms to 67. “We are in Oleshky, and we cannot get out,” she wrote. “We are starving. Right now I have absolutely nothing to eat.”
Her home burned down last winter, yet she remains trapped alongside her family.
Under constant fire
Basic survival is nearly impossible. After the Nova Kakhovka dam was destroyed in 2023, the town lost electricity and water. Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported that residents face landmines and drone strikes while searching for food, while commercial relief trucks were turned back under attack.
One resident recounted a horrific attack after two men from nearby Radenske were killed carrying groceries. “The sausage was untouched, the dogs didn’t want to eat that,” the local recalled. “They eat our dead.”
Ukrainian forces recently used drones to drop four tons of food and medicine into the area. However, local officials admit it remains unclear how much aid actually reached civilians.
Blame and blockade
The diplomatic fight over the town is escalating rapidly. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged the United Nations to intervene, warning of an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
“Russia is deliberately making life impossible for them,” Sybiha stated during a UN address. “They are starving them to death.”
Moscow rejects the charge and blames Kyiv for the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agency Interfax that Ukrainian drones are blocking relief efforts, claiming, “The regime in Kyiv is doing everything in its power to prevent food and drink from arriving.”
Ukrainian official Tetyana Hasanenko offered a different explanation to The Guardian. She warned that Russian troops refuse to allow evacuations because they are using local residents as human shields.
Sources: The Guardian, Ukrainska Pravda, Interfax
