Opinion

Russia's methodical use of starvation in Oleshky

The town of Oleshky and the surrounding district in southern Kherson Oblast in Ukraine are under a total blockade imposed by Russian occupation forces. Since May 26, 2026, no humanitarian aid has reached Oleshky. Residents are hanging signs on their fences reading "no food, we're starving too," emaciated animals have disappeared from the streets, and a three-liter jar of preserved bread crusts has become, in the words of one resident, worth its "weight in gold." Reports of civilians eating we