Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on Saturday that occupying Russian forces are converting the town of Oleshky into a lethal trap marked by severe hunger, appealing to global bodies for assistance in evacuating the inhabitants.

His remarks on social media came after Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Pope Leo of cooperation in providing essential supplies to the southern Ukrainian town in the Kherson region.

"Russian troops are attempting to make Oleshky a deadly snare. Medicines have depleted at the hospital. Numerous corpses remain in streets or residences because Russian authorities prevent burials," Sybiha noted.

"Households endure starvation, relying on garden remnants, canned goods, and even snails. Ukraine has urged for secure evacuation routes and humanitarian entry multiple times. These requests must receive responses."

The Kremlin admitted in September to serious shortages in Oleshky regarding food and healthcare but claimed military efforts to address them. Ukrainian forces have sent drones twice with food and medicine.

Calls for UN and Red Cross to Arrange Evacuations and Aid Access

Sybiha pressed the United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross, and similar groups to establish safe evacuation paths and prompt humanitarian support.

Oleshky is situated on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region, largely seized by Russian troops early in the 2022 invasion. A Ukrainian counteroffensive reclaimed significant areas, such as Kherson city.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy characterized the conditions in Oleshky this week as genocide.

Before the war, Oleshky had 24,000 residents but now hosts roughly 1,700, including 47 children, according to Danielle Bell of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

On Saturday, local prosecutors reported that Russian forces launched aerial bombs on Kherson city across the Dnipro from Oleshky, resulting in the death of an ambulance driver and injuries to 40 individuals.