How Ukrainian marines bypassed Russian lines to feed starving civilians in Oleshky

Today the biggest news is coming from the Kherson direction. Here Ukrainian marines just launched a daring operation into the besieged town of Oleshki on the Russian controlled side of the Dnieper River. Ukrainian civilians in the town have been under tight Russian control since the full-scale invasion and recently the situation became critical enough to warrant a massive rescue mission. Heavy bomber drones flew into Russian controlled town delivering dozens of heavy crates full of food, water, medicine and hygiene supplies to the Ukrainian residents.

Smaller Ukrainian FPV drones were also deployed, hoping to carry as much humanitarian aid to the starving civilians as possible. Coordinating with local leaders who have stepped up to care for others, the marines delivered an undisclosed amount of assistance solely through unmanned aerial systems. This happened in the Ukrainian residents have been under Russian control since the start of the full-scale invasion. After Ukrainians liberated the city of Kherson in November of 2022, Russians began intense shelling and targeting of civilians inside it, an operation that Russian soldiers colloquially call their human safari.

Partially with the goal of eliminating Russian snipers firing into the city, Ukrainians established control of the riverbank town of Dachi in 2023 and have held it against Russian assaults ever since. However, Russian drone operators stationed inside Oleshki continued to launch attacks against the city of Kherson. To prevent Ukrainians from annihilating the Russian soldiers stationed here, Russians have strictly cordoned off the town and prevented any residents from leaving, essentially using them as human shields.

With entrance and exit to the town being blocked by Russian soldiers, drones and minefields, a massive humanitarian crisis has ensued. Residents are unable to gain access to necessities and have been living as human shields ever since, surviving on whatever they can find. That is why Ukrainian forces stationed across the river organized this operation to drop many supplies into Oleshki, while the likelihood that Russian soldiers will try to steal back the supplies for themselves is high.

Alleviating the crisis for as many civilians as possible has taken clear priority. It is also important to note that Ukrainians frequently attempt to organize humanitarian corridors and ceasefires to allow residents to leave Oleshki with the help of the International Red Cross. Unfortunately, Russia has repeatedly refused and reneged on agreements regarding the evacuations, frequently cancelling them in the final stages without explaining why. Regardless, many Ukrainian volunteers operating from inside the free Ukrainian territory as well as Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory consistently help residents evacuate and find refuge further in the rear.

Overall, Ukrainian Marines conducted a daring operation to deliver as many essential supplies as they could to the besieged civilians inside Oleshki. The operation was not without risk to the Marines, as such a large-scale deployment of unmanned systems causes Russians to begin searching for the Ukrainian operators immediately. Nevertheless, the operation has been a success and has temporarily alleviated the situation for those who were in the direst need. With Russians continuing to hold up agreements on a safe evacuation corridor for civilian residents, the humanitarian crisis in Oleshki is one of the most intense seen in the war thus far.

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