An action is being held in Brussels in support of residents of temporarily occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region, where there is currently a humanitarian crisis — limited access to food, water, and electricity.
This is reported by a correspondent of Babel.
The rally began at 10:00 AM near the Schuman Ring. It takes place at a time when the EU Foreign Affairs Council is meeting, where EU defense ministers are discussing, among other things, military support for Ukraine.
Participants call on international partners to demand that the Russian Federation open a humanitarian corridor and ensure the evacuation of civilians.
"Oleshky cannot be forgotten," the organizers emphasize.
UPD at 3:15 PM: The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has already reacted to the situation.
"This situation demonstrates what is happening to people in the occupied territories. When some people ask: ʼWhy not just give them the territories?ʼ it sounds easy, but in reality it is about people who are suffering there," Kallas said after the end of the EU Council meeting at the level of defense ministers, reports Babelʼs correspondent.
Kallas added that the EU is trying to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and "help Ukraine protect its citizens so that this does not happen again".
"This is a reminder that itʼs not about the land, itʼs about the people," said the EU High Representative.
- Approximately 2 000 people remain in Oleshky, including almost 50 children. Russian military personnel are blocking the departure of local residents. Since March, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have been systematically delivering food to people using drones — in particular, the day before, the Ukrainian military dropped 4 tons of food to 100 different locations.
- However, the Russians are also trying to disrupt aid deliveries: they shoot down drones carrying food, take away or resell humanitarian packages. Residents may be detained and tortured in exchange for receiving aid.
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