cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11557184

…

The Ukrainian city of Oleshky, across Dnipro River from the southern city of Kherson which is occupied by Russia, has become “a hell on earth”, according to Ukrainians familiar with conditions there.

Accounts of the dire conditions in the city emerged as the Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, raised the situation in Oleshky at the UN general assembly in New York. A “Save Oleshky” banner was lifted at a Ukraine-Hungary Nations League football match on Friday.

In a statement published on Monday, Sybiha warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” and called for an immediate evacuation, accusing Russia of standing as “the only obstacle”.

“Russia is deliberately making life there impossible,” Sybiha said in an address during the general assembly. “They are starving them to death.”

…

In messages shared with the Guardian, residents said they were down to one meal a day: soup without potato, made with courgette grown in what once were the flower boxes of the city’s apartment houses, sometimes with the addition of foraged purslane, an edible weed.

“We’re running out of everything,” said a resident early in the summer. “By August, the situation will be critical for us. And come autumn, we’ll definitely die. I’m already dying. I’m getting weaker by the day.”

…

Ukrainian officials say attempts to drop food by drones have done little to help: the supplies are seized by Russian soldiers and in at least one case the intended recipient was arrested.

…

A 74-year-old man was digging out a cellar that had been flooded with mud after Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam in 2023, looking for stored food. Refusing to allow the soldiers into the cellar he was excavating, he was murdered by the [Russian] soldiers.

…

Despite the horrific conditions in the city, Ukrainian officials believe the occupying forces are dragging their feet with the evacuation of the remaining civilians in order to discourage a Ukrainian counterattack.

“The Russians are afraid that an offensive [against Oleshky] will start from Kherson city and they are just keeping people, civilians, as human shields,” said Hasanenko.

…

In a text message, another resident said simply: “All supplies are running out.”

“A week ago, the orcs [a Ukrainian term of abuse to describe Russian soldiers] came into people’s yards and dug up all the potatoes, onions, and garlic.

“They took all the food supplies from the elderly women. When one of the grandmothers started shouting, they replied that people ‘soon to be living in heaven’ like them should subsist on nothing but water.”

…

Archived

    • Hoimo@ani.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      I think it’s just a literal description for the people not familiar with the word “orc”. It is a term of abuse, or a slur, or a funny nickname. It’s not a Ukrainian word or an official term or the name the Russian soldiers give themselves.

  • chloroken@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    2 days ago

    Oh that’s horrible and maybe totally true! I’m sure these people are totally not Nazi freaks, judging by the fun bigotry.

    Anyway, the US would never starve people as a weapon though. The Cuban blockade and embargo is totally just for funsies. Israel genociding multiple peoples at once and starving Gaza is all gravy, baby. Sudanese dying in droves is just fake news.

    What really matters are the Nationalist Ukrainians currently under occupation. Those are the real victims in this world.

    • Schmoo@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      13
      ·
      edit-2
      2 days ago

      If you can support the right of Palestinians to engage in armed resistance against Israeli occupation even if it is carried out by Hamas - a right-wing religious fundamentalist organization - then you should also support the right of Ukrainians to engage in armed resistance against Russian occupation even if many have bigoted or racist opinions about Russians. You should also understand that an occupation creates the conditions for such sentiments to flourish, and that oppressors of all sorts rely on that fact in order to demonize their victims.

        • Schmoo@slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          2 days ago

          And I support the right of all people to self-determination and to resist occupation, oppression, and genocide regardless of whether it is carried out by their own government or a foreign invader.

          • Fart Armpit@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            2 days ago

            Well, it’s highly probably some so-called kremlinbot — one of gigantic networks aimed at influencing different vulnerable groups to vote for pro-ruzzian candidates in various countries (only one example). Or just some brainwashed afraid of how this moscal order’s rapid collapse and self-eradication will cause his peaceful oligarch’s or fsb etc. ass to pay for inhumane shit it did instead of living peacefully.

            So i doubt your arguments on his framing attempts worked on it or reached some of it’s braincells, but thx for real comments and promotion of an adequate and measured way of thinking.

            🇺🇦 Ukraine withstands 🇺🇦

            🔥 moscow will lay down in ashes 🔥

            • chloroken@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              1 day ago

              Calling me, an American from Pennsylvania a Ruzzian Ork Bot and then admitting you want to literally glass Russia is certainly one way to deal with the Nazi accusations!

              • Fart Armpit@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                10 hours ago

                Ah, i see it now. A proud “American from Pennsylvania” ruzzian botnet division trying to justify genocide of people of Ukraine by ruzzians using framing and now also trying to use personal assault because there are no real arguments in your arsenal to justify terror and extermination of civil population of Ukraine by ruzzian criminal army. Yeah, such fsb rat moves and marker words certainly make you look more credible.

                But REAL PEOPLE will continue to disrupt your psyops no matter what and you’ll eventually fade away like you’ve never existed.

                This topic is closed.

                Now to all REAL PEOPLE here i’m wishing a great day and to live to see better days with no pupin, no gestapo fsb etc. and no nazi-spreading ruzzia as it is now.

                Glory to Ukraine! 🇺🇦

                • chloroken@lemmy.ml
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  9 hours ago

                  I’m not a Russian botnet. I am literally an American.

                  The only thing more embarrassjng than your denial is your country.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      2 days ago

      They’re Nazis because they called the soldiers who came over and dug up all of their remaining food crops, “orcs”? Is that what you’re basing this on?

      Nobody here is going to defend the US regarding Cuba, or Israel regarding Gaza etc, so I’m not sure what you think you’re accomplishing with the whataboutism. Besides just making it obvious that you’ve got nothing else.

      • Fart Armpit@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 hours ago

        Wait, you are from blahaj and you’re… sane? Is that some different kind of blahaj i’m simply not aware of? Un-possible… Something fishy is here def 🐟

      • chloroken@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        2 days ago

        I mean, I know basic Ukrainian and Soviet history, so I have that advantage over you I suppose.

        • ManixT@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          2 days ago

          Remember that time the Soviets allied with the Nazis so they too could do Nazi stuff? Now they’re doing imperalist Nazi stuff again.

          Remember the mass deportations and imperalist theft of land by Soviets? The political persuction? The authoritarian dictatorship?

          You support a dog shit culture and it’s good to know it’s collapsing again.