A severe humanitarian crisis has developed in the occupied regions of Oleshky, Holaya Prystan, Stara Zburivka, and Nova Zburivka in the Kherson region of Ukraine. Residents are reportedly trapped without access to electricity or food, and they are frequently targeted by drone strikes.
The living conditions in these areas have deteriorated significantly, with the absence of electricity and gas supplies, leading to a complete collapse of infrastructure. The population in the occupied communities has plummeted from 40,000 to approximately 6,000, with Oleshky experiencing a drastic reduction from 24,000 residents to around 2,000. Many of those remaining are individuals with limited mobility.
Local inhabitants have become targets for hostile drone attacks as the occupying forces are obstructing civilian evacuation efforts and hindering the delivery of essential supplies, including food and medicine. Residents attempting to leave by car or to purchase food are reportedly facing direct assaults from Russian drones.
Currently, over 6,000 individuals, including around 200 children, require urgent assistance. Authorities have received more than 220 requests for emergency evacuation from the area, a situation confirmed by the ombudsman, intelligence sources, and international organizations.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated urgent consultations with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to explore options for rescuing citizens in these regions. Ukraine intends to raise the issue of the humanitarian crisis at United Nations and OSCE forums. All evidence of alleged Russian crimes will be submitted to international monitoring missions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, “For Ukraine, nothing is more important than human lives. We urge the international community to take concrete and immediate actions to rescue our citizens in temporarily occupied Kherson region.” It is important to note that the left bank of the Kherson region has been under Russian occupation since the early days of the full-scale invasion.
The humanitarian situation in the Kherson region has reached critical levels, with thousands of residents trapped and in dire need of assistance. The Ukrainian government is seeking international intervention to address the crisis and ensure the safety of its citizens.