Ukraine condemns 'severe humanitarian crisis' caused by Russia in occupied Kherson Oblast

Prefer on Google by Yuliia Taradiuk The aerial view of Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast, in a photo published on May 2, 2026. (@UAOleshki2026 / Telegram) Ukraine's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on May 6 condemning the "severe humanitarian crisis" in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast that it said was caused by Russia's violation of international humanitarian law. The most dire situation, according to civilians and volunteers, is in the occupied front-line city of Oleshky , where roughly 2,000 civilians are trapped with no safe evacuation options, limited food, no drinking water, and no other utilities. Residents live amid a Russian military presence and frequent strikes by both Russian and Ukrainian forces. "If the situation doesn't improve, people will just die there from hunger. Because there's no way out, no food supplies coming in," an Oleshky resident who escaped Russian occupation in early April 2026 told the Kyiv Independent. The Foreign Ministry said that Russian forces are blocking evacuations of Ukrainian civilians trapped in the area near Oleshky and obstructing the delivery of goods, food, and medicine. The situation is "particularly alarming," and there is an "urgent need for humanitarian aid" in the settlements of Oleshky, Hola Prystan, Stara Zburivka, and Nova Zburivka in Kherson Oblast, where "basic living conditions are entirely nonexistent," the ministry said. "Critical infrastructure is destroyed; there is no electricity or gas. Residents attempting to buy food or flee in private vehicles are being targeted by Russian drone attacks," the statement said. The population has decreased from 40,000 to about 6,000 people, while Oleshky’s population has fallen from 24,000 to about 2,000, the Foreign Ministry said. More than 6,000 people may need humanitarian aid, including about 200 children, most of whom have limited mobility, according to the ministry. Main roads in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent) Based on conversations with Oleshky residents, local authorities in exile, and evacuation volunteers, the Kyiv Independent reported on the situation in Oleshky on April 15. While the Russian troops reportedly mine the road leading to Oleshky and interrogate drivers at checkpoints, some still risk trying to go out. On May 2, a local Telegram channel, "Oleshky it is Ukraine," reported that around 30 residents had been evacuated from Oleshky. The Foreign Ministry said it received more than 220 direct requests for evacuation from the area. It also mentioned that Ukraine initiated urgent talks with the United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to explore options for rescuing citizens there. The ministry urged international partners to pressure Russia into adhering to international humanitarian law, calling for the establishment of evacuation corridors and the necessary conditions for safe passage. "For Ukraine, nothing is more valuable than human life. We urge the international community to take immediate, concrete action to save our citizens in the occupied Kherson region," the ministry said. According to the Geneva Conventions , the forced displacement of civilians from occupied territories and the use of starvation against civilian populations as a method of warfare are prohibited and considered war crimes. Russian troops continue to use towns and villages on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast to launch attacks across the river, including on Kherson, which Ukrainian forces liberated in November 2022.