Survival in Oleshky: Residents Turn to Weeds Amid Food, Water Rations

Oleshky, an eastern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation since 2022, is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. Residents are cut off from basic supplies as the city lies between the Dnipro River and Russian forces.

With no electricity, gas or fresh water, locals have turned to cooking garden weeds to starve. The last official food delivery reached the town in May, and many people now eat once a day.

The area was further devastated by the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in June 2023, flooding homes and compounding the crisis. Casualty reports from the UN and local volunteers count at least 29 dead and 54 injured in Oleshky and nearby Hola Prystan.

Residents also face restrictions on burial of dead. Russian occupation authorities require a post mortem by a Russian doctor before a body can be buried, leaving many victims unburied since December.

While the Ukrainian government claims continued efforts to supply the city, aid deliveries have largely stalled. International calls for passage of humanitarian shipments remain unanswered, leaving Oleshky trapped in a full blockade.

The psychological toll is immense. Volunteers like Ksenia Arkhipova keep a spreadsheet of victims, and community members fear that trying to bury bodies may make them the next target.