Approximately 2,000 Ukrainian civilians remain trapped in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, facing a severe humanitarian crisis marked by starvation and bombardment. All roads out have been mined by Russian forces, whilst constant drone attacks and artillery shelling prevent the delivery of food and medicine, forcing residents to consider extremely dangerous escape routes. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman has called for urgent intervention, describing the situation as requiring immediate rescue efforts.

Oleshky, formerly home to 24,000 people before the war, now contains only a few thousand residents, including approximately 50 children. The desperation is acute: residents report eating grass and scavenging through rubble for edible matter, whilst the mortuary has been destroyed and bodies cannot be properly buried. A proposed 62-mile humanitarian evacuation corridor—the only escape option—runs through heavily mined territory targeted by Russian drones. Although Kyiv, Ukrainian forces, and the International Committee of the Red Cross had prepared an evacuation plan with an approved civilian list, the Kremlin has not confirmed willingness to permit the operation, leaving civilians facing the prospect of a winter without food deliveries, medicine, or reliable transport.