Berlin march demands humanitarian access for occupied Oleshky as Moscow, Kyiv dispute blame
Ukrainian civic movement Vitsche Berlin marched through central Berlin on September 28 to demand humanitarian aid and evacuation routes for residents of Russian-occupied Oleshky in Kherson Oblast. The action coincided with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov's acknowledgment of a "critical situation" in the city — a rare public admission that Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation and marchers seized on to accuse Russia of blocking humanitarian access.
Key points
- Vitsche Berlin organized the march under the slogan "Stop Russian occupation in Oleshky" on September 28
- Participants gathered at Berlin's Rotes Rathaus and marched past the German Foreign Ministry to the Russian Embassy
- Marchers called for humanitarian aid, safe evacuation routes, and international pressure on Russia
- Organizers estimate more than 6,000 people, including around 200 children, remain in occupied Oleshky
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged a "critical situation" in Oleshky but blamed Ukraine for obstructing them
- Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation says Russia is trying to shift responsibility for the humanitarian crisis onto Kyiv
- A UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine report says occupying states must provide food, medicine, and humanitarian access
Why it matters
The action brought a specific, ongoing humanitarian crisis in occupied Oleshky — not just the war in general — to the attention of German and European policymakers near key institutions. It coincided with a rare Kremlin acknowledgment of a "critical situation" in the city, sharpening the public dispute over who bears responsibility for blocking humanitarian access to civilians, among them around 200 children.
What happened
On September 28, the Ukrainian civic movement Vitsche Berlin organized a march under the slogan "Stop Russian occupation in Oleshky." Participants gathered at the Rotes Rathaus, Berlin's city hall, and marched through the city center past the German Foreign Ministry to the Russian Embassy. Carrying placards calling for the rescue of Oleshky residents, humanitarian aid, and safe evacuation routes, activists urged German authorities and the international community to increase pressure on Russia and secure access to people remaining under occupation.
According to the organizers, more than 6,000 people, including about 200 children, remain in occupied Oleshky and surrounding settlements. Residents are suffering from shortages of food, drinking water, medicines, and other essential aid, while Russian occupation forces obstruct humanitarian deliveries and civilian evacuations.
In a separate exchange, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged a "critical situation" in the temporarily occupied city but claimed the "Kyiv regime is doing everything to obstruct the supply of products." Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council said Russia is attempting to shift responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe in Kherson Oblast onto Ukraine and described Peskov's framing as a typical Kremlin propaganda tactic.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage centers the narrative on Russian occupation of Oleshky and the suffering of trapped civilians, including the specific figure of about 200 children among more than 6,000 residents. It highlights the march's route past the German Foreign Ministry to the Russian Embassy as a direct appeal to both German and international authorities, and amplifies the Center for Countering Disinformation's characterization of Peskov's remarks as Kremlin propaganda. The reports also invoke the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine's finding on occupying-power obligations to underline that responsibility lies with Russia.
Where reporting differs
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged a "critical situation" in occupied Oleshky but blamed the "Kyiv regime" for obstructing supplies. Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation and the march's organizers held Russia and its occupation forces solely responsible for blocking humanitarian access and evacuations, and described Peskov's attempt to shift blame as a standard Kremlin tactic.
Background
Oleshky is a city in Kherson Oblast that has been under Russian occupation since the early stage of the full-scale invasion. Under international humanitarian law cited by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, an occupying state is obliged to provide the population with food and medical supplies and to facilitate humanitarian assistance. Organizers of the march estimated that more than 6,000 people, including about 200 children, remained in occupied Oleshky and surrounding settlements.