"Hear the cry for help" — Sybiha, at the UN, called on the world to save the residents of Oleshky from a humanitarian catastrophe
Kyiv • UNN
About 2,000 people remain in occupied Oleshky without stable supplies of food and medicine. Sybiha called for pressure to be put on Russia.
Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha called on the world to pressure russia so that the aggressor country would open humanitarian corridors and allow the residents of Oleshky in the Kherson region, who are currently suffering from artificially induced starvation, to be rescued. The head of the relevant ministry made the statement from the podium during his address on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where the Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform was held, UNN reports.
If you remember only one thing from this meeting — remember Oleshky. Hear their cry for help. Demand that russia open humanitarian corridors
What is the situation in Oleshky at present
As of September 23, 2026, Oleshky remains under Russian occupation. The situation in the city is currently critical due to shortages of food and medicine, problems with utility and medical infrastructure, and the absence of a safe mechanism for evacuating civilians.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, around 2,000 people currently remain in Oleshky itself. Before the full-scale invasion, the city's population was approximately 24,000. Dozens of minors are among those still in the city.
One of the most acute problems remains the provision of food. According to the UN Monitoring Mission, there have been no confirmed regular deliveries of food to Oleshky since the end of May. Ukrainian officials and volunteers also report an acute shortage of food, medicines, and other essential goods. The situation with utility infrastructure also remains difficult. The city has serious problems with electricity and gas supplies, and a significant part of the infrastructure facilities has been damaged or destroyed.
Access to medical care is also extremely limited. According to the Ukrainian side, only a few medical workers remained at the local hospital in mid-September. The medical facility's full operation is hampered by shortages of medicines and disruptions to electricity and water supplies.
The evacuation of the population remains a separate problem. As of September 23, no organized humanitarian corridor from Oleshky is operating. The Ukrainian side had previously worked out the technical conditions for conducting an evacuation; however, according to Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, the Russian side did not confirm its readiness to carry out a humanitarian operation. According to him, hundreds of people requiring assistance to leave the occupied territory have already been verified. Leaving independently is also associated with a high level of risk. Roads and adjacent areas may be mined, while extensive destruction makes movement more difficult. There have been reports of people attempting to leave the occupied territory on foot.
What else did Ukraine's Foreign Minister discuss at the UN General Assembly
Given the event's subject matter, Sybiha first addressed the issue of Crimea, which russia annexed back in 2014. He emphasized that the occupation and militarization of the peninsula pose a direct threat to the security of the Black Sea region.
"russia is using occupied Crimea as a base for attacks on Ukraine, and its further militarization poses a threat to the entire Black Sea region," the head of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry emphasized," — Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized.
After that, he turned to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the armed forces of the russian federation, which has continued since February 2022.
"This is not a Ukrainian war. It is not even a European war. It is a global threat. Preventing the worst-case scenario depends on everyone in this room — and far beyond it," Sybiha told listeners from the podium.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine clearly expressed the position of official Kyiv: the war must end, and this must happen without delay. The ceasefire, which was supported by 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council, should have been the first step toward this. However, Russia, which in the view of the head of the relevant ministry still illegally occupies a seat in the organization as the successor state to the USSR, blocked this proposal.
"Russia is vetoing not only a ceasefire. Russia is vetoing peace," Andrii Sybiha summed up.
Let us remind you
More than 50 UN member states, as well as the EU, called on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and peace negotiations with Ukraine. They also demand the return of civilians and prisoners of war.