Oleshky residents eat weeds as Russian occupation cuts food and water

September 24, 2026 at 04:58 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky in southern Ukraine are eating garden weeds and surviving on one meal a day as the city remains cut off from food and water. Two civilians carrying food were killed by a drone on 20 September, four sources confirmed. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the situation a 'full blockade' at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

Key Facts

Two civilians carrying food were killed by a drone on 20 September in Oleshky, according to four separate sources.
The last food delivery to Oleshky was in May, and residents now eat once a day.
The Ukrainian government estimates about 6,000 people remain in Oleshky and surrounding areas, including 200 children.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the situation a 'full blockade' at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
The Kremlin acknowledged a 'critical situation' and 'problems with supplies of food and medicine' in Oleshky earlier this week.

Civilian Deaths

A husband and wife were killed by a drone on 20 September while returning to Oleshky with a bag of food from Radensk, 23 km away. They were unable to get home before a curfew imposed by Russian occupation authorities. Four separate sources confirmed the deaths of the two civilians carrying food. The BBC spoke to a resident, Halia, who knew the couple well but withheld their names for safety reasons.

Humanitarian Conditions

Residents say children in wider Oleshky are suffering from malnutrition, a lack of medical services, and are 'degrading' without access to education. Many residents told the BBC independently that only one hospital is partially operational, opening a few days a week to perform critical amputations. Halia said the last food delivery was in May and that she eats once a day, making plain bread with tomato or honey and tea. The Kremlin acknowledged a 'critical situation' and 'problems with supplies of food and medicine', but said Russia's military was working to resolve them and blamed Kyiv.

International Response

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the local population is living under a 'full blockade' by Russian forces. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Sybiha called on the international community to pressure Russia into allowing humanitarian aid into the city. Ukraine has attempted to deliver supplies to the area but has not had success in recent months.