Residents of Oleshky, a city in southern Ukraine currently under Russian occupation, are enduring dire humanitarian conditions, with severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. On 20 September, two civilians—a husband and wife—were killed while trying to bring food from the nearby town of Radensk, 23 kilometers away. They were unable to return home before a curfew enforced by Russian authorities and were struck by a drone. Four sources have confirmed the incident, though the victims' identities remain undisclosed for safety reasons. Oleshky, once home to 24,000 people, now has an estimated 6,000 residents, including around 200 children. Many children suffer from malnutrition and lack access to basic medical care or education. The city has only one partially functional hospital, which operates only a few days a week to perform life-saving procedures like amputations. Ukraine has attempted to deliver humanitarian aid, but these efforts have largely failed in recent months due to the ongoing conflict. Conditions in Oleshky have deteriorated further due to a lack of electricity, gas, and clean water, which has persisted since the Kakhovka dam was attacked three years ago. With no functioning shops, residents are forced to eat garden weeds and often go an entire day without food. The last food delivery was in May, and many survive on just one meal per day. Traveling out of the city on foot is extremely dangerous due to mined roads, though some residents have attempted to leave. The number of civilian deaths in Oleshky is difficult to determine. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has recorded at least 29 civilian deaths and 54 injuries in Oleshky and the nearby town of Hola Prystan this year. Local volunteers estimate the actual number could be much higher. Ksenia Arkhipova, a volunteer who has been compiling a list of deaths since escaping the city in 2022, estimates around 1,200 people have died in Oleshky, with new deaths added daily. Some residents have shared personal stories of loss, such as Tetiana, who lost both her parents in the city this summer. Burying the dead has become nearly impossible due to restrictions imposed by Russian occupation authorities. Bodies can only be buried if they die of natural causes, and post-mortem examinations must be conducted by Russian doctors, which is not possible in Oleshky. This has led to bodies being left on the streets or stored in the hospital morgue, which has been without power since winter. Some bodies have been left to decompose on the streets or consumed by stray dogs. Ester Vrataryova, co-founder of the charity Humanity, described this situation as a form of psychological warfare.