No Food, No Water: Oleshky Residents Turn to Weeds Amid Russian Siege

Thu Sep 24 2026 08:54:59 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Oleshky’s civilians starve, gulping garden weeds after Russian forces cut food, water and aid supplies.

Oleshky, a Ukrainian town captured by Russia in 2022, is trapped in a siege that has severed food and water supplies. Residents now rely on edible weeds to survive, while a recent drone strike killed two civilians hauling groceries. With hospitals crippled, no shops open, and a curfew imposed, the city’s citizens face daily life-threatening shortages. The occupation’s demands for post‑mortem confirmations limit burial of the dead, leaving bodies exposed and adding a psychological toll.

No Food, No Water: Oleshky Residents Turn to Weeds Amid Russian Siege

Oleshky, a town in southern Kherson Oblast, has been under Russian occupation since 2022. The captive city now faces a brutal siege that has cut off food, water, and medical supplies. Without electricity or gas since the 2023 Kakhovka dam collapse, residents have turned to edible garden weeds just to taste life.

Survivor Halia (name changed for safety) recounts how two civilians—a husband and wife—were killed by a drone while trying to bring a grocery bag from Radensk. The Greek‑style “road of death” is blocked by curfews and concentrated drone strikes, leaving even those who make it back unable to find shelter.

Ruined buildings in Oleshky after years of occupation.

The town’s only partially operational hospital opens just a few days a week, performing critical amputations while the rest of patients lack routine care. No shops remain open, forcing residents to swap or share whatever food they can find. The sheer lack of supplies turns a simple daily meal into a moment of hope.

Local volunteer Ksenia Arkhipova has compiled a spreadsheet of over 1,200 deaths, a figure that is likely an under‑estimate. With deceased bodies prohibited from burial by Russian authorities—unless a Russian doctor verifies the cause—many have been left on streets or at the hospital morgue, where no power is available. The authorities claim that only natural‑cause deaths can be buried, leaving displaced families with an unbearable psychological burden.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister’s appeal to the UN General Assembly underscores the urgency of releasing humanitarian corridors. Yet, Russian forces maintain a full blockade, demanding post‑mortems before permitting graves and even hindering the arrival of external aid.