Russia Blocks Aid to Oleshky, UN Says

Russia has not provided humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations, with safe access to the temporarily occupied cities of Oleshky and Hola Prystan in Ukraine’s Kherson region, where civilians are facing shortages of food and medicine.

According to Suspilne on September 26, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Matthias Schmale said the organization has received information indicating a difficult humanitarian situation in both communities.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has reported food shortages in the frontline communities, while security conditions have made it difficult for residents to obtain necessary medical care.

“Under international law, the occupying power is obliged to provide the population with food and medical supplies and, when necessary, facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance,” Schmale said, according to Suspilne.

He added that Ukrainian authorities had asked the UN to provide humanitarian assistance to the area, but Russia had yet to guarantee safe access for aid organizations.

“The Ukrainian authorities have appealed to the UN with a request to provide humanitarian assistance, but the Russian Federation has still not ensured safe access to this area for humanitarian organizations, including the UN,” Schmale said.

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War in Ukraine

“The Humanitarian Situation Is Hell”: Oleshky Civilians Go Four Months Without Food or Medicine

Sep 18, 2026 18:16

The situation in Oleshky has deteriorated for months. The city has been largely cut off from regular food supplies, electricity, gas, medicine, and transport links. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry estimated that Oleshky’s population had fallen from around 24,000 before the full-scale invasion to approximately 2,000 people.

Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said in May that around 6,000 civilians, including approximately 200 children, required evacuation from Oleshky and nearby settlements. Ukraine and Russia discussed the issue on May 15, including a possible temporary ceasefire that would allow an evacuation to take place.

Ukraine has since been waiting for Russia to provide the security conditions necessary to begin the evacuation.

On September 25, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty called for a local ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, and the safe evacuation of civilians from Oleshky. He stressed that Russia, as the occupying power, bears responsibility for providing essential supplies to civilians living in territory under its control.

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