KYIV (25 June 2026) – Thousands of civilians trapped by hostilities in frontline areas of the occupied Kherson region face severe risks to their lives, food shortage, and lack of medical assistance, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said today.
HRMMU has recently interviewed more than 20 residents from communities near the frontline in occupied parts of Kherson region, including Oleshky and Hola Prystan. They described how frequent drone attacks and the presence of landmines have impeded evacuations and access to basic necessities. Ukrainian authorities estimate that up to 6,000 civilians, including more than 180 children, remain in these communities.
“Frequent attacks by short-range drones and the presence of landmines are having devastating consequences for thousands of people in these communities,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. “People can’t get out, food can’t get in, and sick and injured are not getting the medical assistance they need.”
HRMMU has also documented and reported on the significant increase in the number of civilians killed and injured by short-range drones in territory controlled by the government of Ukraine and how the threat of drone attack has affected access to basic services, essential aid and emergency support.
Short-range drones are usually equipped with a camera that provides the operator with real-time view – so-called “first-person-view” (FPV) – of potential targets, which should allow the operator to distinguish between civilian and military objects.
Residents from Oleshky and Hola Prystan told HRMMU that the security situation for civilians has deteriorated significantly in 2025 and 2026. One older woman who left Oleshky in May 2026 recounted several attacks in recent months that killed or injured people she knew. HRMMU has recorded reports that at least 29 civilians have been killed and 54 injured in Oleshky and Hola Prystan in 2026 alone. Many of these casualties have been verified by OHCHR.
Most civilians were killed or injured in attacks with short-range drones, HRMMU said. Early in the morning of 5 March 2026, for example, a drone killed two civilians and injured others who were standing in line in Oleshky to receive food. In another case, a drone injured a local medic travelling on a scooter in early May. An attack by a second drone shortly after the first attack killed the injured medic and another man who had come to help him.
These attacks took place in territory controlled by Russian armed forces that are under attack by short-range drones launched by Ukrainian armed forces. As with many attacks in frontlines areas, however, HRMMU has not been able to conclusively establish responsibility in individual attacks.
Landmines have been the second largest threat. On 2 June, a civilian vehicle convoy transporting food and humanitarian aid to Oleshky drove over a landmine at the entrance to the city. As a result, one man was killed and three others were injured. At least some of the landmine incidents appear to have been caused by anti-personnel landmines, weapons that are banned by most countries due to their risk to civilians.
As a result of the drone attacks and landmines, there is not enough food in the communities and it is difficult and dangerous to access necessary medical assistance. According to local residents, the last grocery store in Oleshky closed regular operations in January because of lack of food. For months, residents survived on preserved food and limited food deliveries by private suppliers, often inaccessible to those unable to reach distribution points. As of 24 June, there had been no food deliveries to the town since 26 May.
Residents said that ambulances had also stopped coming to people’s homes and that medical assistance was available for only the most urgent medical cases. As of 24 June, four injured civilians in the hospital in Oleshky required transfer to Skadovsk for further medical treatment, but it was not possible to evacuate them. One patient at the hospital recently died while waiting to be transferred.
Under international law, an Occupying Power has the duty to ensure food and medical supplies for the population and to facilitate humanitarian relief when necessary.
Volunteers told HRMMU that the drone and landmine threats made it too dangerous to facilitate organized evacuation, but that they have helped approximately 180 people leave these areas through ad hoc arrangements over the past several months. In the largest evacuation, volunteers helped 32 people leave Oleshky during a three-day easing in hostilities between 9 and 11 May. Such ad hoc arrangements, however, do not meet the scale of needs, according to volunteers and local residents.
Because of frequent attacks on vehicles, many residents were forced to walk long distances, which posed particular challenges for people with reduced mobility. One woman told HRMMU that when she left, her husband had to stay behind to attend to his 84-year-old father who was unable to walk the 10 kilometres to the evacuation meeting point.
Discussions have taken place between Ukraine and the Russian Federation about a possible local ceasefire to allow civilians to evacuate from the area, but no agreements have been reached yet.
“There is a desperate need for a local ceasefire so that people can leave and food and medicines can reach those who decide to stay,” Bell said.
