Story perspectives

Ukraine Warns UN of Starvation in Oleshky

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 2:58 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Sybiha Warns Starvation

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned the UN that Russia is starving civilians in Oleshky.
Oleshky’s population fell from about 40,000 prewar to roughly 6,000, with 2,000 in the city.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 21 September Oleshky faces critical food and medicine shortages.
Dmytro Lubinets reported 358 people need urgent evacuation while about 300 remain waiting.

Summary

Russian Authorities Ban

Russian occupation authorities forbid burial of civilians killed by drones or mines and demand a Russian doctor’s post-mortem.
Volunteer Ksenia Arkhipova records roughly 1,200 civilian deaths in a spreadsheet, adding names daily.
Charity co-founder Ester Vrataryova says the burial ban is psychological pressure.
Only natural-cause deaths may be buried, leaving many corpses on streets since December.
Bodies accumulate in the powerless hospital morgue.

History

Historical Context

In 1941-44 the German encirclement of Leningrad killed about one million civilians, illustrating how prolonged sieges create mass starvation. Today Russian forces have besieged Oleshky, cutting supplies so its population fell from roughly 40,000 to 6,000 and burial bans were imposed. The recurrence echoes the broader pattern of modern sieges in the Russo-Ukrainian war, prompting calls for humanitarian corridors.

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Sybiha Warns Starvation

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned the UN that Russia is starving civilians in Oleshky.
Oleshky’s population fell from about 40,000 prewar to roughly 6,000, with 2,000 in the city.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 21 September Oleshky faces critical food and medicine shortages.
Dmytro Lubinets reported 358 people need urgent evacuation while about 300 remain waiting.

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