Ukraine's Oleshky Described as 'Hell on Earth' Amid Humanitarian Catastrophe

The southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky, under Russian occupation since 2022, has been described as "hell on earth" by local officials and humanitarian workers, with thousands of remaining residents facing starvation and hundreds attempting dangerous escapes through a war zone littered with mines and bodies. The city's pre-war population of approximately 40,000 has dwindled to as few as 6,000, with only about 2,000 in Oleshky city itself.

Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military Administration, stated that those who remain are facing rapidly deteriorating living conditions with little apparent interest from the occupation authorities in alleviating them. "We are not talking about them surviving the winter," Hasanenko said.

Messages from residents paint a grim picture of careful rationing of food supplies, a chronic shortage of medication, and constant movement between abandoned houses to evade drone attacks and Russian troops. One resident described the situation as "Like a horror movie."

The 'Road of Death'

Kseniia Arkhipova, a volunteer coordinating evacuations, reported that a recent collapse in food supplies prompted a new wave of departures. After a food convoy was attacked in early September—an incident where Russian officials blamed Ukrainian forces and Kyiv blamed Moscow—many locals began to leave on foot.

Escaping requires reaching the village of Radensk, a journey described by Hasanenko as the "road of death" due to mines and drones. From Radensk, individuals may find transportation further into occupied territory, often towards the Black Sea coast, to arrange circuitous routes to Ukrainian-controlled areas, sometimes through Belarus. These escapes can cost up to $500 per person.

Those fleeing face dangers including mines, FPV drones, and Russian checkpoints. Many have lost identification documents, either due to conflict or the flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023, an incident for which many experts believe Russian forces were responsible. At checkpoints, evacuees without documentation face interrogation and potential detention, with accusations of spying being common.

'Corpses are lying on the street'

Arkhipova described a lack of organized Russian leadership in the area, with soldiers reportedly focused on personal gain. Russian forces move through the region using village roads, wary of Ukrainian drones and artillery, and use the occupied territory to launch attacks on the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kherson across the Dnipro River. Russian troops have been documented looting homes, occupying civilian residences, and masking their military vehicles.

Residents report that Russian soldiers face Ukrainian drone attacks, with their casualties sometimes left unburied. "Then their corpses are lying on the street. These corpses are eaten by dogs," Arkhipova said.

The city's hospital is reportedly on the verge of collapse, lacking fuel and medicine. "If the hospital closes, the city will die," Arkhipova added. Hasanenko described a dire scene where "People lie on the road, rot, unburied. More than 100 corpses lie in the basement of the hospital today—a hospital that has had no electricity for four years."

International Attention

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha raised the situation in Oleshky at the United Nations General Assembly, warning of a "humanitarian catastrophe" and accusing Russia of being the sole obstacle to evacuation. "Russia is deliberately making life there impossible," Sybiha stated. "They are starving them to death."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged a "critical situation" in Oleshky but accused Ukrainian forces of blocking humanitarian supplies. Ukrainian officials, however, maintain that Russia is preventing aid from reaching the city.

Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, echoed the sentiment that the city has become "hell on earth," adding that Russian forces have used locals as "target practice" for drones.

Arkhipova noted that approximately 300 people are awaiting evacuation, with 47 having departed in September. She believes that a breakthrough would require demining roads, a ceasefire, and a convoy of humanitarian buses. Despite the grim conditions, some residents have expressed a determination to remain in their homes, stating, "I'm not going anywhere. This is my home. Why should I leave my home?"