Residents in Russian-occupied Oleshky say the city has no food or water, and some are cooking garden weeds. One woman told the BBC the last food delivery was in May. Ukraine estimates about 6,000 people, including 200 children, remain in the city and surrounding areas.
Four sources confirmed that a husband and wife were killed by a drone on 20 September while carrying food back from Radensk, 23km away. Halia said they had not made it home before a curfew imposed by Russian occupation authorities.
Residents say children in the wider area are malnourished and lack medical care and education; they told the BBC only one hospital is partly operational, opening a few days a week for critical amputations. The city has also lacked electricity and gas since the Kakhovka dam was attacked. The Kremlin acknowledged a “critical situation” and food and medicine supply problems, said Russian forces were working to resolve them, and blamed Kyiv. Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha described the area as under a “full blockade” by Russian forces and urged international pressure on Russia to allow aid.
