Pina Picherno begins hunger strike in support of civilians in occupied Oleshky

European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picherno has declared a hunger strike aimed at drawing international attention to the dire situation in the temporarily occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region. The politician emphasised that thousands of peaceful residents have found themselves in a desperate situation: they lack regular access to food and essential medicines, while attempts to leave the city are complicated by the presence of mined areas. Pina Picherno called for the establishment of a humanitarian ceasefire and the organisation of a safe exit for civilians.

Appeal to the international community

Pina Picherno announced her decision on the social network X. She underlined that thousands of people remain in the territory controlled by the Russian army without regular access to food and medicines. Due to the mining of the area, any evacuation attempts are accompanied by a serious threat to life.

The Member of the European Parliament demanded the immediate establishment of a humanitarian ceasefire, the admission of food and medicines, and the organisation of a safe evacuation of the population. She also emphasised the need to support the efforts of Pope Leo XIV and the international community so that diplomatic initiatives yield concrete results.

Chronicle of the deteriorating situation

Oleshky and neighbouring settlements came under occupation on the very first day of the full-scale invasion. Following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by Russian occupiers on 6 June 2023, the city suffered extensive flooding. According to available data, Russian military forces obstructed evacuation and continued to shell the community.

From February to 31 July 2026, 136 appeals from Oleshky residents describing the critical state of the humanitarian situation were received by the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets qualified this situation as a humanitarian catastrophe, which is a direct consequence of the occupation and disregard for human life. Head of the Oleshky City Military Administration, Tetyana Hasanenko, reported that the situation is worsening daily, and the ability to buy food and medicines effectively disappeared about six months ago.

Diplomatic efforts and negotiations

On 16 October 2026, Pope Leo XIV expressed concern about the situation in Oleshky and called for a cessation of hostilities during a phone call with Vladimir Putin. On 20 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also held a phone conversation with the Pope, during which the humanitarian crisis in the city was discussed.

According to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine is negotiating with the Russian side daily on unblocking the evacuation. The parties are working through proposals and coordinating details to ensure a regime of silence. The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations also sent an appeal to the international community requesting help to evacuate local residents.

Pina Picherno emphasises that the residents of the occupied city cannot be left to their fate. Her hunger strike aims to draw attention to the plight of civilians and increase international pressure to provide humanitarian aid and save lives.

It was previously reported that Ukraine and Russia had come close to agreeing on the terms for evacuating civilians from the temporarily occupied Oleshky community. According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the parties are discussing the regime of silence and the safe exit of people to Ukrainian-controlled territory daily. The evacuation could cover approximately 6,000 civilians, including up to 200 children, but no final agreement has been reached yet.