Occupied communities in Kherson region are under humanitarian blockade

The Russian invaders have effectively blocked access to aid for residents of the left bank of the Kherson region. The Holoprystan and Oleshky communities are facing a critical shortage of medicines, food and basic necessities.

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration.

The occupants not only fail to provide the local population with everything they need, but also obstruct any attempts to deliver humanitarian supplies or provide medical care. In particular, the Russians sell the imported goods at inflated prices, continuing massive looting in civilian homes.

Another consequence of the blockade is the inability to bury the dead. Ukrainian intelligence units have recorded cases where bodies remain in homes for weeks, and people are forced to bury them in their yards. <span>The Russians are deliberately blocking evacuation, leaving thousands of people to fend for themselves. To find even some food, residents of the communities are forced to walk tens of kilometers under the threat of shelling.</span>

Hasanenko emphasized the blatant cynicism of the enemy: Russia has been exploiting the theme of the 'blockade of Leningrad' for years, while at the same time organizing identical terror for the residents of Kherson region. Today in Oleshky there is no food, no quality water, no electricity, no gas and no heat. Even an attempt to collect firewood to heat homes can be fatal due to dense mining and constant explosions.

According to rough estimates, about 6,000 people out of the 40,000 who lived here before the full-scale invasion remain in the community. Those who were unable to leave are forced to live in conditions of unsanitary conditions and constant drone attacks. The Russian occupiers are ignoring any norms of international humanitarian law, failing to meet the basic needs of the people and deliberately blocking any outside assistance.

Катерина Глушко