40 children remain without gas and water in occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast; 182 children in total in community

Around 6,000 residents, including 182 children, remain in the Oleshky hromada, located in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson Oblast. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Source: Tetiana Hasanenko, Head of Oleshky City Military Administration, on air with Ukrainske Radio

Details: In the town of Oleshky itself, approximately 1,700 residents – more than 40 of them children – are without water, gas and drinking water.

Due to active hostilities, mined roads and constant Russian attacks, it is impossible to leave the town, Tetiana Hasanenko said on air with Ukrainian Radio.

She said that the security situation in Oleshky remains critical, as the community is located directly on the line of contact and all exit routes are mined.

She also noted that since the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on 6 June 2023, there has been no drinking water in Oleshky; residents rely on wells.

"Russian occupying forces have stopped supplying food to Oleshky residents. The last commercial delivery – when two vehicles managed to enter the town to sell food – took place on 26 May. On 2 June, four vehicles attempting to enter the town blew up on mines.

Two people were killed. One person remains in Oleshky hospital, although they require more qualified medical care. However, due to the impossibility of leaving, evacuation is not possible. The situation is becoming increasingly difficult," Hasanenko said.

Of the 13 settlements in the Oleshky hromada, five – Krynky, Pidstepne, Pishchanivka, Sahy and Zaplava – have been completely destroyed. The villages of Kozachi Laheri, Solontsi and Pidlisne have suffered around 80% destruction. In other settlements, people continue to live under constant shelling and drone attacks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Armed Forces often rescue residents on the left bank while operating from the right bank.

Tetiana Hasanenko also said that negotiations are ongoing regarding the possibility of organising a humanitarian corridor for civilians.

"We hope that both the International Committee of the Red Cross, the OSCE and UN mediation will provide security guarantees for civilians and that a humanitarian corridor will be established. What concerns me most is that the Russian Federation may once again violate international humanitarian law and stage provocations," Hasanenko noted.

She said that appeals by the Ukrainian side to international organisations have had some effect, but there has been no response from the Russian occupation administrations so far.

"Negotiations are currently taking place at the highest level," she added.

Background:

• In early March, Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, reported a critical humanitarian situation in occupied Oleshky.
• The city faces a shortage of drinking water and food, lacks stable electricity and gas supply, and has limited access to medical care. The delivery of humanitarian aid and food supplies is complicated by ongoing hostilities and mined territory.
• In this regard, Lubinets appealed to the Russian Human Rights Commissioner and the International Committee of the Red Cross, urging them to facilitate the creation of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from Oleshky and nearby settlements.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!