EU calls on Russia to urgently provide humanitarian access to Oleshky
Photo: The European Commission has called on Russia to urgently ensure humanitarian access to Oleshky (t.me/dmytro_lubinetzs)
The European Commission called on Russia to immediately ensure humanitarian access to occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region, where people have been starving for a long time.
"What is happening in Oleshky, Ukraine, is appalling. Civilians are trapped under siege by Russian forces without access to food, medicine, clean water and basic care. This is unacceptable," the statement said.
The European Commission stressed that humanitarian aid must reach the people who need it, and civilians must be given the opportunity to leave the occupied territory.
EU is working with relevant partners and using all available opportunities to facilitate the delivery of aid, including to people trapped in temporarily occupied territories.
The EU's humanitarian partners are ready to provide assistance. To do so, they need safe, stable and effective humanitarian access on the ground.
"Russia, as occupying power, has clear obligations under international humanitarian law: civilians must be protected and humanitarian assistance must be facilitated. People in Oleshky need regular access to food, medicine, water and essential care. International humanitarian law must be respected," the European Commission stressed.
Hunger in Oleshky
Russia is blocking the evacuation from Oleshky, which has been under occupation since 2022.
Before the full-scale invasion, about 24,000 people lived in Oleshky, while today around 2,000 remain, including about 50 children.
The city has no electricity or gas supply, and over the past month, the delivery of food, medicine and other essential items has been completely blocked.
People in Oleshky, occupied by Russia, have been starving for a long time and are forced to survive on grass and weeds.
Ukraine has been systematically raising the issue of the humanitarian situation in Oleshky on international platforms.
Ukraine brought the situation in Oleshky to a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, which took place on October 1.
Since March, Ukrainian troops, together with the Kherson Regional Military Administration, have been systematically delivering food to the city across the Dnipro River using drones.
Recently, Ukrainian troops delivered about 4 tons of food to occupied Oleshky by drone. The aid was delivered to 100 designated locations across the city at once.
However, Russian forces are obstructing the delivery of aid. They shoot down drones carrying food.
They also seize or resell food intended for civilians, including children and elderly people.
According to intelligence, Russia is preparing to stage dozens of videos featuring residents of occupied Oleshky. People who have been starving for a long time will be forced to say that they are "well-fed and happy."
The Russian military has been provided with a manual to force locals in occupied Oleshky to give false testimony about the humanitarian situation and to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
