Russian forces appear to be actively interfering with Ukrainian efforts to provide food to residents of occupied Oleshky, Kherson region (southeast of Kherson City and on the left bank of the Dnipro River), threatening to prolong and intensify an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reported on September 25 that residents in occupied Oleshky, Kherson region, have no food and must eat grass and weeds due to Russian negligence and refusal to provide humanitarian aid per its obligations under international humanitarian law.
Russian occupation authorities stopped delivering food and supplies to occupied Oleshky in late December 2025, and in Spring 2026, Russian occupation authorities left Oleshky, effectively removing themselves from the humanitarian crisis.
Ukrainian Kherson region Military Administration Head Oleksandr Prokudin reported on September 26 that Ukrainian forces have been delivering food to occupied Oleshky since March 2026 and recently conducted an operation using drones to drop 4,000 kilograms of food to 100 designated locations in Oleshky.
Prokudin noted that Russian forces intentionally shot down the drones carrying these provisions to prevent residents from obtaining the food or to enable Russian soldiers to take the food for themselves. Russia’s chronic mismanagement, deliberate disruption of humanitarian aid and evacuation efforts, and denial of its responsibilities under international law have led to a prolonged and now increasingly dire humanitarian crisis.
The Kremlin has so far shown no interest in working with Ukraine or other international authorities to establish a local humanitarian ceasefire in the Oleshky area to resolve the crisis and now appears to be actively hindering Ukrainian efforts to provide food to local residents.
Russia continues to demonstrate that its relationship with occupied Ukraine is extractive, brutal, and self-serving as Russia’s war restricts consumer logistics routes and limits the goods and services available to occupied Ukrainians.
