Ukraine's "Road of Death": Will They Stay or Risk It All?!

Oleshky, Ukraine – Trapped between opposing armies and a landscape littered with deadly mines, the residents of Oleshky are facing a desperate humanitarian crisis. Cut off from regular supplies of food and medicine for months, the city's remaining population of roughly 2,000 is clinging to survival amidst constant danger. I have reported on many conflict zones, but the stories coming out of Oleshky paint a particularly grim picture.

Ukraine's "Road of Death": Will They Stay or Risk ...

“The road is mined. So, we’re stuck here,” Ludmilla told the BBC over the phone from the rooftop of a fire-damaged house. (Ludmilla is a pseudonym, as are the other names of residents cited here, to protect their identities). Her words are chilling. She, like many others, feels imprisoned, watching their city decay before their eyes. Ukraine's commissioner for human rights has rightly warned of a "humanitarian crisis" unfolding in the city.

While some recent deliveries, organized by volunteers and aid groups, have managed to get through, these are only a drop in the bucket. Photos show crowds, many elderly, gathering for fresh supplies in the city square. "A relief even if prices were high," Ludmilla says, as people have been forced to forage for food in abandoned homes. Pasta and tinned goods have become the staple diet, highlighting the scarcity and desperation.

The most harrowing aspect of this story is the risk associated with leaving Oleshky. Locals refer to the only escape route as "The Road of Death" due to the extensive mining. Oleshky is geographically isolated, surrounded by the Dnipro River and destroyed bridges, and the roads are too dangerous to travel. The city sits on the Russian-occupied east bank of the Dnipro, a frontline in this brutal war.

Volodymyr, in his 50s, described his terrifying evacuation journey. After being traumatized by drones and witnessing his neighbor killed by shelling, his family decided to leave. Volunteers arranged an ambulance, but even that journey was fraught with danger. "The entire highway from Oleshky to Hola Prystan' is littered with burnt-out cars. Some of them burned with people still inside." It's a scene of devastation that's hard to imagine, let alone witness firsthand.

Satellite imagery confirms Volodymyr’s account, showing at least eight damaged vehicles on a 1km stretch of the road leading out of Oleshky. There's even a large scorch mark visible on the road. The snow may have melted, but the mines remain, a constant threat hanging over every resident of Oleshky. The world needs to pay attention to the plight of these trapped civilians and ensure that aid reaches them before it's too late.