Occupation forces have made evacuation from the Kinburn Spit impossible

The occupying forces have completely mined the escape routes, making it impossible to evacuate the civilian population from the Kinburn Spit. People have found themselves in a humanitarian trap without access to medicine and food.

This was reported by Suspilne Mykolaiv, citing accounts from local residents and Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk.

According to local residents who were able to leave, fewer than 100 civilians remain on the peninsula. They note that there are almost no resources left to sustain life in the villages.

A man whose family managed to escape the occupation pointed out that the spit is effectively completely cut off from the mainland. This affects the ability to deliver food there. 

“In Oleshky, it’s more or less, how should I put it, on the mainland. But over there, the spit is completely cut off. Everything from the Dnipro River to the estuary near Rybalshchyk. It’s only 4 km away. That’s it—the spit is cut off. Now people are just finishing up their food supplies, and that’s it,” he said.

The man reported that food deliveries have currently stopped. According to him, food was last delivered back in the spring of last year. He noted that people in the villages of Pokrovka, Vasylivka, and Heroiske are lacking the bare necessities. He also explained that, to heat their homes, residents are forced to dismantle damaged houses for firewood. According to him, the livestock that was on the farms has already been shot and eaten.

A local resident noted that it is currently impossible to leave the peninsula. He said that Russian troops have laid mines in three or four rows along the roads and the coastline, and are also dropping “petal” mines into the reeds.

“Right now, all the roads are mined. No one is going anywhere. Over there, some people decided to try to escape because there’s no food. There was one family, and their car was blown up,” the witness said.

He added that no one was injured, but they remain trapped by the situation. He is also aware of cases where civilians have been injured by landmines while trying to fish.

According to the man, locals are also facing terror from the occupiers. He noted that Russian soldiers are moving through the villages, conducting searches, harassing civilians, forcibly issuing Russian passports and draft notices to young people, and taking people away. The man described the murders of two women and the disappearance of an elderly man after his detention.

As noted by Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, the Kinburn Spit is of great strategic importance to the Russians. It provides control over the sea access for the ports of Mykolaiv and Kherson. According to Pletenchuk, conducting an operation to liberate the spit without reliable logistics, evacuation, and resupply is risky.

He also said that as long as the left bank remains under occupation and there is no way to establish a foothold there, it is too early to talk about liberating Kinburn. The spokesperson added that the Russians are using civilian homes as cover and are effectively hiding behind the local population.

Юлія Калабайда