Ukraine appeals for evacuation from occupied Oleshky as Russia refuses local ceasefire
Ukraine is calling for immediate humanitarian access and the evacuation of civilians from occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, where no formal food deliveries have reached the town since 26 May. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets say civilians are dying from lack of food, water and medicine and that those trying to leave on their own risk being killed, detained or blown up on mines. Ukraine says Russia has refused its proposal for a temporary halt in hostilities to allow a one-day evacuation via a land corridor.
Key points
- Ukraine proposed a temporary local ceasefire to evacuate civilians from occupied Oleshky; Russia refused.
- Around 6,000 civilians, including about 200 children, remain in Oleshky and five neighboring settlements, according to Lubinets.
- No formal food deliveries have reached Oleshky since 26 May, per the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
- Sybiha says civilians in Oleshky are forced to eat grass and weeds and lack medicines, clean water, electricity and medical assistance.
- Lubinets says a one-day evacuation via a land corridor is feasible, but civilians leaving on their own risk being killed, detained or blown up on mined fields.
- Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty called for an immediate local ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access.
- Ukraine is raising the situation at the UN General Assembly, according to Sybiha (20 September).
Why it matters
Ukraine is publicly warning of an active humanitarian catastrophe in occupied Oleshky, with civilians reportedly dying from lack of food, water and medicine and no formal aid deliveries reaching the town since 26 May. The fact that Russia has refused a temporary local ceasefire to allow evacuation underscores the limits of humanitarian access under occupation and raises the international profile of the crisis through appeals to the UN, the ICRC and the Council of Europe. The reported risks to civilians attempting to leave on their own add urgency, making this a test of whether international pressure can secure even a brief pause in hostilities to save lives.
What happened
Ukraine is appealing for immediate humanitarian access to and evacuation of civilians from occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. According to Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets, around 6,000 civilians, including about 200 children, remain in Oleshky and five neighboring settlements, and an evacuation could be carried out within one day via a land corridor. Ukraine says it proposed to Russia a temporary halt in hostilities in the area to allow that evacuation, but Russia refused. Lubinets also said that civilians trying to leave on their own risk being killed by Russian forces, detained by occupation authorities, or blown up on mined fields. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reports that no food deliveries have reached Oleshky since 26 May, and volunteer groups still manage to deliver small quantities by drone. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha placed full responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe on Russia due to its illegal occupation and said civilians are forced to eat grass and weeds, with medicines, clean water, electricity and medical assistance becoming increasingly unavailable. Sybiha called on the UN, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international actors to ensure immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access and a safe evacuation, and said Ukraine is raising the situation at the UN General Assembly. Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty called for an immediate local ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access and safe evacuation, and Sybiha thanked him for drawing international attention to the crisis.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage centers on government appeals and statements by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets, framing the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe caused by Russia's illegal occupation. The coverage highlights Ukraine's proposal for a temporary local ceasefire to allow evacuation, Russia's refusal, and the role of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which on 19 September called on Pope Leo XIV to use all possible means to save Oleshky residents from starvation. Lubinets's 16 September statement that the situation shows the "complete ineffectiveness of international organizations" underscores Ukrainian frustration with the international response so far.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on whether residents of Oleshky are eating dogs: reports cited via the military administration (MVA) and some media claim such cases occur, while residents interviewed by journalist Oleh Baturin said they had not heard of them. Baturin also noted that Oleshky residents may not know what is happening in other parts of the city due to lack of communications, destroyed infrastructure, mined roads and constant air danger, which may explain the divergence.
Background
Oleshky is located in Kherson Oblast in territory occupied by Russia. On 16 September the German newspaper Bild reported that Oleshky has been under a humanitarian blockade, with residents having subsisted on garden produce over the summer and now facing the threat of starvation. On 19 September the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations stated that Oleshky is on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe and called on Pope Leo XIV to help.