People have begun eating dogs in occupied Oleshky; no food has been delivered since May – City Military Administration
People in Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, are starving because food supplies are not reaching the city. Some families have begun eating dogs.
Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky City Military Administration, said this, according to Censor.NET, citing Ukrainska Pravda.
Details
"A few days ago, I heard for the first time that there really are cases of families eating dogs. Just a week ago, I denied that information, but now someone there has confirmed it to me. There is truly nothing to eat. The situation is worsening not just by the day, but by the hour.
"And there is no chance of rescue. People have two options: either die of starvation or be caught in a drone or artillery attack and be killed. There is no third option. The chance of staying there without food and surviving is zero," she said.
According to the head of the city military administration, there is no situation in which some families in the city have food while others do not. Everyone is starving.
The last food delivery to Oleshky was on May 26. No subsequent attempt has succeeded.
The situation will worsen in winter
Hasanenko said it would be impossible to walk to Radensk or other settlements for food in winter: the ground will freeze and be covered with snow, while every route out of the city and the surrounding fields are littered with mines.
Last year, some "drivers" agreed to take people out of Oleshky for money.
"It was expensive, and prices varied, but they took people out for money. They were drivers. There are no volunteers taking people out. There are none now, either."
There have been isolated cases of people crossing a mined field on foot. They head towards Radensk, but the walk is 20 kilometres or more, and not everyone can manage it.
Eleven people are known to have left the city this way.
According to her, around 2,000 people remain in Oleshky itself.
"Two thousand is the figure for the city of Oleshky itself, the centre of the community, where 24,000 people lived before the full-scale invasion. The Oleshky community also includes 12 other settlements. There were 13 altogether, including the city, with a population of 40,000. Five settlements have been completely destroyed, so no one lives there. Three settlements are 80% destroyed… There are 6,000 people in Oleshky and the surrounding villages, including 182 children," she added.
Humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky
- In late March 2026, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian side over the humanitarian catastrophe in occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast.
- Around 2,000 civilians are known to remain cut off from the outside world in occupied Oleshky.
- The regional military administration has also reported that bodies remain unburied for weeks and supply routes have been completely destroyed, leaving Oleshky under a complete humanitarian blockade.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross is trying to obtain information about the situation in occupied Oleshky.
- Ombudsman Lubinets said residents of Oleshky are being prepared for evacuation.
