Russian occupation forces are preparing a large-scale propaganda staging in the temporarily seized territories of the Kherson region. According to Ukrainian intelligence and official statements from the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, dozens of staged videos are planned to be recorded in Oleshky, featuring local residents who have been suffering from hunger and a humanitarian catastrophe for a long time.
The Essence of the Invaders' Cynical Operation
According to information from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the scenario of Kremlin propaganda is to force exhausted people to thank the invaders and claim on camera that they are allegedly provided with food and live a happy life. This tactic is applied after the city was completely blocked: the invaders cut off all evacuation routes, blocked access to humanitarian aid, and created conditions for artificial survival.
Humanitarian Catastrophe in Besieged Oleshky
The situation in Oleshky, which has been under occupation since 2022, has reached a critical point. Before the full-scale invasion, about 24,000 people lived here, and today only about 2,000 residents remain, including about 50 children. Electricity and gas supplies are completely absent in the settlement, and the delivery of any medicines and food is blocked. Due to the lack of elementary living conditions, people are forced to eat grass and weeds.
Contradictory Data
While the Ukrainian side, intelligence data, and international reports clearly document the brutal humanitarian blockade and artificially created famine in Oleshky, Russian official and pro-military sources categorically deny any problems in the region. Russian propaganda resources claim that the city allegedly receives all necessary assistance and is developing under Russian administration, which sharply contrasts with the facts of blocking evacuation, intercepting drones with humanitarian aid, and persecuting local residents for trying to get food.
Ukraine's Efforts to Save People
Despite the resistance of the occupiers, the Defense Forces of Ukraine, together with the Kherson Regional Military Administration, are doing everything possible to support the surviving civilians. Since March, food has been regularly delivered across the Dnieper using heavy unmanned aerial vehicles. For example, recently the Ukrainian military delivered about 4 tons of food to 100 locations in the city using drones, but the occupiers purposefully shoot down such devices and take food away from the elderly and children.
