MEPs raise alarm over civilians trapped in Russian-occupied Oleshky

Members of the European Parliament have called for urgent support for civilians trapped in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky, where conditions have been described as extremely severe. The town, on the bank of the Dnipro River, lies in an area separating Russian and Ukrainian forces and has drawn growing concern from international monitors in recent weeks. Ukrainian authorities say the town and surrounding area are effectively under blockade, with residents facing acute shortages of food, medicine, gas and running water.

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During a plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, several lawmakers highlighted the situation and urged stronger action. Hanna Gedin, a Swedish MEP speaking for The Left, said some residents had reportedly resorted to eating grass or tree bark and described the situation as "absolute hell". She said the last grocery store had closed and that overland food deliveries had stopped, while power shortages had affected residents since the start of the occupation.

Polish MEP Andrzej Halicki, speaking for the European People's Party, said he had been receiving messages about the humanitarian situation for some time and accused the occupiers of condemning people to death by starvation. The debate also focused on the wider disruption facing civilians in and around the town. Reports from the area say shelling and drone strikes are occurring almost daily, while the threat from drones has made it too dangerous for people to recover bodies from the streets in some cases.

Thijs Reuten, a Dutch MEP speaking for the Socialists and Democrats, said aid had been delivered too slowly and argued that the cost, both human and financial, had risen as a result. He also called for stronger air defence support and full funding for the UN-Ukraine Winter Response Plan, which he said stood at $358 million. The case has become a test of how international institutions respond to civilians living under occupation in an active war zone.

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Oleshky's location on the Dnipro places it close to the front line and makes access difficult, especially when roads and supply routes are disrupted. The allegations of blockade and deprivation also add to wider concerns about the use of hunger and restricted access to essentials as pressure on civilian populations. For the European Parliament, the issue has become part of a broader debate over how far the EU should go in supporting Ukraine's civilian population during the war.

The situation also reflects the longer-running humanitarian strain in occupied areas of southern Ukraine, where basic services have been repeatedly disrupted since the occupation began. In September, the Kremlin acknowledged that Oleshky had critical problems with food and medicine supplies, indicating that the shortages had already reached an alarming level before the latest appeals in Strasbourg. International monitors have been warning for weeks that conditions in the town are worsening, while Ukrainian officials continue to accuse Russia of blocking access and restricting deliveries.

The town's estimated civilian population of around 2,000 has become central to those warnings. What remains unclear is whether any new humanitarian access will be secured, or whether civilians will be able to leave safely. The immediate focus is on whether the EU and other international actors will increase pressure for an evacuation or for more reliable aid delivery.

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