Russian forces seize Ukrainian drone-delivered food in occupied Oleshky, interrogate civilians
Russian military personnel in the occupied Kherson Oblast city of Oleshky confiscated food packages that Ukrainian forces had dropped to residents by drone, then interrogated recipients and accused them of collaborating with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The seizure occurred during what Ukrainian officials describe as the largest drone-based food delivery to the city to date — about 4 tonnes across roughly 100 locations — against a backdrop Ukrainian and church sources call a humanitarian catastrophe.
Key points
- Russian soldiers in occupied Oleshky seized food parcels that Ukrainian forces had dropped from drones, according to head of the Oleshky MVA Tetiana Hasanenko.
- Russian troops interrogated residents about the origin of the non-Russian-produced food and accused recipients of cooperating with the AFU.
- The Ukrainian Armed Forces delivered about 4 tonnes (4,000 kg) of food by drone to roughly 100 locations in Oleshky — described as the largest such operation to date, involving 142 UAV sorties.
- The last official food delivery to Oleshky before the drone drops took place on 26 May (year disputed between sources: 2025 or 2026); the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission said no food had reached the city from that date until at least 24 June.
- Estimates of civilians remaining vary: the Oleshky MVA says up to about 6,000 people including roughly 200 children in the city and surroundings; a Southern Defense Forces spokesperson puts it at about 2,000 people including around 50 children in the city itself.
- There are reported cases of residents resorting to eating dogs due to food shortages, and Hasanenko says people continue to disappear after being abducted by Russian forces, including one family taken 'to the basement.'
- Ukrainian officials have raised the situation at the UN General Assembly; the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches has appealed to the Pope, the UN and the ICRC to help evacuate residents.
Why it matters
The seizure of Ukrainian humanitarian aid by Russian forces directly thwarts civilian relief in an occupied area facing starvation, while forced interrogations and accusations of collaboration against aid recipients point to coercion and reprisals. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission's finding that no food reached the city for roughly four months underscores the scale of the crisis. Ukrainian, church and international actors are now publicly describing Oleshky as a humanitarian catastrophe and elevating the issue to the UN General Assembly, the ICRC and the Pope. Reports that Russia may stage propaganda videos to present Ukrainian-delivered food as Russian aid would, if confirmed, amount to a disinformation operation misrepresenting the source of relief to besieged civilians.
What happened
Russian military personnel in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, seized food packages that Ukrainian forces had air-dropped to civilians by drone, according to Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky City Military Administration. Speaking to Ukrinform, Hasanenko said Russian soldiers interrogated residents about where the non-Russian-produced food came from and accused those who received it of cooperating with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The seizures coincided with what Ukrainian officials described as the largest drone-based food delivery to Oleshky to date. Kherson Oblast Military Administration head Oleksandr Prokudin said on 27 September that Ukrainian forces had recently delivered about 4,000 kg (4 tonnes) of food products to roughly 100 locations in the city by drone. A spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces said the operation involved 142 UAV sorties by crews from the 34th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade, the 11th National Guard Brigade 'Bolharchy' and other units of the 30th Marine Corps. Hasanenko also said people continue to disappear in the Oleshky community after being abducted by Russian forces, including one family taken 'to the basement' whose fate is unknown.
The last official food delivery to Oleshky before the drone drops took place on 26 May; the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said no food supplies had reached the city from that date until at least 24 June.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets and officials center Tetiana Hasanenko (Oleshky MVA), Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Kherson OVA head Oleksandr Prokudin and Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Anastasiia Shevchenko as the primary voices on the crisis. Coverage emphasizes Russian soldiers seizing Ukrainian-delivered food, interrogations accusing civilians of collaborating with the AFU, ongoing abductions and a humanitarian blockade, and frames the 4-tonne drone delivery as a Ukrainian humanitarian achievement carried out under fire. Sybiha said Russia is preparing staged propaganda videos with Oleshky civilians forced to claim they are happy, well-fed and grateful to Russian occupiers, while Shevchenko said Russian forces are likely planning to present Ukrainian-delivered aid as their own achievement to discredit Ukraine's Defense Forces. The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations has appealed to the Pope, the UN and the ICRC to help evacuate residents.
Where reporting differs
Two factual disagreements appear across the sources. First, the year of the last official food delivery before the drone drops: one Ukrainian article gives it as the end of May 2026, while other Ukrainian outlets either do not specify a year or imply 2025; the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission cites 26 May without a year in a way consistent with the 2025 reading. Second, estimates of civilians remaining differ — the Oleshky MVA and other Ukrainian officials cite up to about 6,000 people including roughly 200 children in the city and surrounding area, while Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Anastasiia Shevchenko puts the figure at about 2,000 people including roughly 50 children in the city itself (down from a pre-war population of roughly 24,000).
Background
Oleshky in Kherson Oblast has been under Russian occupation, and Ukrainian officials describe it as under a humanitarian blockade on the verge of catastrophe. Before the war the city had roughly 24,000 residents; current estimates of those remaining range from about 2,000 (Southern Defense Forces spokesperson) to up to 6,000 in the city and surrounding area (Oleshky MVA), including around 200 children. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine stated that as of 24 June no food supplies had reached the city since 26 May. Ukrainian forces had previously used drones to drop smaller quantities of food; the recent ~4-tonne drop is described as the largest such delivery to date, involving 142 UAV sorties. Shevchenko said Russian forces mine all logistical routes, prevent evacuation of civilians, block humanitarian missions from bringing in food, water and medicine, and patrol the streets with FPV drones pursuing civilians; Kherson OVA head Prokudin said Russian forces are shooting down drones carrying food supplies.