Ukrainian Civilians Trapped in Oleshky Face Dire Choices Amid Conflict

Trapped in a Frontline City

The road is mined. So, we're stuck here,

says Ludmilla, speaking from the rooftop of a fire-damaged house in southern Ukraine.

People are trying their best to survive.

Her city, Oleshky, located on the frontline, has reportedly been largely cut off from fresh supplies of food and medicine for several months. Multiple accounts describe the city as isolated and deteriorating.

Ukraine's commissioner for human rights has issued warnings about a growing

humanitarian crisis.

Some recent aid deliveries have managed to reach the city, coordinated by volunteers and aid organizations. Photographs reviewed by the BBC depict crowds, many elderly, gathering fresh supplies in a city square. For residents like Ludmilla, these deliveries offer relief despite high prices, as many have resorted to scavenging food from abandoned neighbors' homes. Ludmilla is a pseudonym used to protect her identity and those of other residents interviewed by the BBC.

Pasta and tinned goods have become essential staples for the approximately 2,000 people remaining in Oleshky.

The Dangerous Route Out

Locals describe any attempt to leave Oleshky as a life-threatening gamble along what has been termed "The Road of Death," due to extensive mining.

Geographically and militarily, Oleshky is trapped. It is cut off by a river and destroyed bridges to the north, with roads inland either dangerous or impassable. The city remains caught in the crossfire between opposing forces.

Situated on the east bank of the Dnipro River, Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion. Ukrainian forces are entrenched on the opposite bank near Kherson, a major city they recaptured in November 2022, pushing Russian troops back across the river.

Residents, volunteers, and officials report that last winter's snowfall obscured danger points amid intensified mining activities. Although the snow has melted, fears persist that mines remain active.

Evacuations Amid Peril

Despite the risks, some evacuations along the "Road of Death," southwest along the Dnipro River, have been successful recently.

Leaving Oleshky, everyone prayed to God that we wouldn't hit a mine,

says Volodymyr, in his 50s. Traumatized by drone attacks and witnessing his neighbor's body being removed after shelling, he and his family decided to evacuate.

None of us could endure it any longer.

Volodymyr describes being evacuated in an ambulance organized by volunteers, an experience he found terrifying.

The entire highway from Oleshky to Hola Prystan' is littered with burnt-out cars. Some of them burned with people still inside.

Satellite imagery from November reveals at least eight damaged vehicles along a one-kilometer stretch of road from Oleshky toward Kardashynka, en route to Hola Prystan'. A large scorch mark appeared between Kardashynka and Hola Prystan' in late January. Verified footage from the same period shows a severely damaged vehicle off the road, possibly linked to claims of ambulances and other vehicles hitting mines.

Similar scenes are noted along the E97 road east of the city, although satellite data suggests damage there is older. Small trench networks at intersections approaching the city indicate militarization, but these have existed for several months.

Voices from Oleshky

The BBC has communicated with seven individuals either still in Oleshky or recently evacuated. These accounts were collected via phone calls, messaging apps, and through a Ukrainian official maintaining contact with residents. While not all accounts have been fully verified, corroboration was sought through photos, location data, and online records.

Ludmilla reports her home was destroyed when the Kakhovka Dam upstream on the Dnipro River was destroyed under Russian occupation in June 2023, causing catastrophic flooding.

I'm in someone else's house, which is also burned.

She chooses not to leave, explaining that ongoing destruction makes relocation pointless. She notes that shell-damaged trees are at least useful for firewood.

Russian soldiers are believed to be sheltering in buildings within the city, avoiding Ukrainian drone patrols.

They sit in basements,

Ludmilla says.

We don't see them but they're there.

There have been reports that bodies remain uncollected for days, and in some cases, Russian soldiers' bodies are abandoned to decay.

Calls for Humanitarian Access

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, has appealed to Russian authorities to establish a

humanitarian corridor

for safe evacuations. He accuses Russia of perpetrating

deliberate terrorism

against civilians.

Ukrainian officials claim both civilians and Russian soldiers in the city have been abandoned by occupying authorities.

In response, Russia's Embassy in London told the BBC that

humanitarian difficulties

stem from

systematic strikes

by Ukrainian forces on the city. The Russian-appointed governor of Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, has accused Ukraine of destroying schools and kindergartens, according to the Embassy. However, Saldo's April posts on Telegram do not specifically address the humanitarian situation.

The International Red Cross (ICRC) is engaging with authorities on both sides to gather more information about conditions in Oleshky.

Mine Risks and Military Tactics

Assessing the extent to which mines left by Russian troops or Ukrainian drones pose civilian risks is challenging.

A Ukrainian soldier told the BBC that Ukrainian forces have used mines to prevent Russian resupply efforts within the city. He stated that Ukrainian forces keep volunteers informed about safe routes but accused Russia of indiscriminately deploying explosives.

Residents' Perspectives

Some residents express a desire to leave, though this is not universal. Elderly Ukrainians in frontline towns often hesitate to abandon their homes for an uncertain future.

Another resident, Hanna, recounted seeing a drone hovering over a woman approximately 90 years old.

She just looked up, waved her hand as if to say: 'Come what may' and hobbled on.

Additional reporting by Aakriti Thapar, Anastasiia Levchenko, Mariana Matveichuk, and Volodymyr Lozhko.