Oleshky, September 28 — On the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, the town of Oleshky endures a humanitarian catastrophe under Russian occupation, its population reduced to a fraction of its pre-war size and its residents surviving in conditions described locally as “hell on earth.” Before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Oleshky had approximately 24,000 inhabitants. By late 2026 estimates, the urban core population had fallen to around 2,000, a decline of 91.6 percent.
The wider community, including surrounding rural villages, saw its population drop from about 40,000 to approximately 6,000. Those who remain are predominantly elderly, sick, or disabled, unable to flee the relentless pressures of occupation and isolation.
Infrastructure has collapsed across the town. Residents have lacked electricity for several years and gas for over a year. Access to running or clean drinking water remains nonexistent.
These conditions followed years of frontline combat and were worsened by the catastrophic flooding from the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023, which submerged parts of the town up to rooftop levels. Food deliveries to Oleshky were officially cut off on May 26, 2026, according to reports from the Oleshky City Military Administration.
Russian military forces at checkpoints have turned back supply vehicles, reportedly telling residents to “go back and die.” As a result, civilians have resorted to extreme measures to survive, including scavenging food scraps, eating garden weeds, and boiling grass. A resident shared a photo of a meal dubbed “Oleshky borscht,” made from garden leftovers, asparagus, millet, and eggs obtained by trading 2.5 kilograms of sugar for 10 eggs. Medical infrastructure has collapsed.
Only one hospital remains partially operational, but it lacks generator fuel, medicine, and food. It opens only a few days a week to perform emergency amputations. Approximately 60 critically injured or dying patients are trapped inside the facility with no means of evacuation.
The town is under a persistent “drone siege,” with Russian first-person view (FPV) drones actively targeting civilians. A resident recounted that her neighbors, a husband and wife, were killed by a drone strike after hiking 23 kilometers to a neighboring town to buy food.
They were struck just short of returning home, despite observing a curfew imposed by occupation forces. Drones also target individuals attempting to trade goods or check on neighbors, severely restricting movement and deepening isolation. Due to the extreme danger of moving outdoors, many casualties remain unburied, as residents risk being targeted by drones or artillery when attempting to retrieve or inter the dead.
The combination of severed supply lines, relentless aerial attacks, destroyed infrastructure, and a trapped, vulnerable population has led local officials and residents to describe life in Oleshky as “hell on earth.” Looking ahead, the international community faces mounting pressure to address the ongoing siege and explore avenues for humanitarian access, though no immediate breakthroughs are in sight as of this writing.
