Russian forces seize 4-ton Ukrainian drone food delivery in occupied Oleshky

Aid confiscations and detentions

Russian troops in the occupied town of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast are confiscating humanitarian food dropped to civilians by Ukrainian military drones. Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the local administration, stated that Ukrainian forces recently completed their largest aerial delivery to date, dropping 4 tons of food parcels across the municipality. Russian soldiers have searched residents, seized non-Russian groceries, and treated the possession of delivered supplies as evidence of collaboration with the Ukrainian armed forces. Hasanenko confirmed that civilians found holding Ukrainian food face interrogation and detention by occupying authorities.

Ukrainian soldiers have dropped food from drones to residents of our community more than once, but the latest delivery was the largest and amounted to 4 tons. Of course, someone received one package, someone several, and some did not manage to get anything.

Humanitarian conditions and depopulation

Oleshky is situated 4 kilometres from Ukrainian-held Kherson on the Russian-controlled left bank of the Dnipro River. The town has been under Russian occupation since 2022, and standard supply lines have ceased to function. Ukrainian government figures indicate that the local population fell from approximately 24,000 residents before the 2022 full-scale invasion to around 2,000 people, including roughly 50 children. Roads leading into the town remain mined, and Russian aerial drones maintain continuous surveillance over the streets.

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine recorded that regular commercial deliveries have not reached Oleshky for an extended period, with the last recorded delivery entering on 26 May 2026. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported that the town operates without municipal electricity or gas supplies, leaving residents dependent on small stockpiles and garden harvests. Local residents have shifted to bartering basic goods as currency has lost practical utility, while some have slaughtered livestock due to a shortage of animal feed.

Staged propaganda and intelligence findings

Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate that Russian authorities are preparing dozens of staged propaganda videos featuring local residents in Oleshky. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that occupying forces intend to coerce civilians into claiming on camera that they are well-fed and grateful to Russian authorities. Sybiha characterized the media initiative as an effort to deny the existence of a humanitarian emergency in the town after cutting off supply corridors.

Russian cynicism knows no bounds. First, the occupiers seize the city, cut off civilians' escape routes, and block humanitarian aid. Then they force local residents to participate in staged propaganda films.

Abductions and international diplomatic appeals

Local administrative officials reported ongoing abductions of residents by Russian military personnel. Hasanenko stated that entire families have disappeared after being taken to basements, with no information on their whereabouts or survival. The humanitarian situation in Oleshky was also raised during a United Nations Security Council meeting by the representative of Latvia, who pointed to mined access routes and restricted access to water, medicine, and food. Sybiha appealed to the international community regarding the blockade and forced media recordings.