Sourced fact
The News
Sergey Guliaiev, a 63-year-old man, died in the hospital after sustaining severe head injuries when a Russian drone-fired aircraft fell on a bread queue in the Ukrainian town of Oleshky. His wife, Vera Guliaiev, a retired teacher, was commemorating their 41st wedding anniversary when she spoke about her late husband. The town has been under Russian control for over four years, lacking electricity, clean drinking water, and medical gas.
Vera Guliaiev told Al Jazeera, "Life was extremely hard, I hardly ever left the house, and my husband would sometimes go out to buy bread." However, Vera was unable to transport her husband to the hospital due to landmines on the road. After several days, she managed to take him to the hospital, but he passed away there.
As the fighting continues in the region, the residents of Oleshky suffer from a severe shortage of food and healthcare. According to the town’s mayor, Tatyana Khasanenkova, most residents are eating only one meal a day. Khasanenkova stated, "There is no flour, no meat, no oil, no sugar, no salt." She added that the population relies on wild herbs to survive.
The humanitarian situation in Oleshky raises concern among European officials, urging Kyiv not to cede territory occupied by Russia. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas, noted that civilians face a difficult choice between staying and facing famine or leaving the town and risking landmines.
In turn, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, stated that Ukrainian authorities are preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the population. However, Ukrainian authorities confirm that Russians are using civilians as human shields. The residents of Oleshky face significant challenges in obtaining food and healthcare, fearing security repercussions if they engage with the Ukrainian side. This situation exacerbates the humanitarian suffering in the town, reflecting the devastating impact of war on civilians.
Analysis & context
Analysis & Context
Analytically, the reality of Oleshky's residents reflects the harshness faced by Ukrainian civilians under Russian occupation. They suffer from a severe shortage of food and healthcare, putting their lives at risk. Continuous Russian attacks on civilians further exacerbate their suffering. In a broader context, this situation highlights the difficulty in achieving peace in Ukraine, where Russia insists on controlling Ukrainian territory while Ukrainians resist strongly. This also underscores the need for international community support for civilians in occupied areas.
