European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno has announced a hunger strike to draw international attention to the worsening humanitarian situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky, in Ukraine's Kherson region.
In a statement published on X, the Italian politician warned that thousands of civilians remain trapped in the city without reliable access to food or medicine, while extensive mine contamination makes evacuation extremely dangerous.
Those who remain face severe food shortages, while residents attempting to escape risk their lives crossing mined areas.
Picierno called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the delivery of essential supplies and safe evacuation routes for civilians wishing to leave the occupied city. She also urged civil society organisations, citizens and national and local institutions to join a broader nonviolent campaign aimed at increasing international pressure to address the crisis. The initiative, launched under the hashtag #SaveOleshky, invites supporters to participate through the campaign website, Save Oleshky.
Picierno said the mobilisation was also intended to support the efforts of Pope Leo XIV and others working to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. She stressed that international diplomacy must deliver practical results, rather than allowing the situation in Oleshky to deteriorate further.
"The population of Oleshky cannot be abandoned," Picierno wrote, calling for collective action to ensure that civilians are not left to die without international attention.
Oleshky, situated on the Russian-occupied left bank of the Dnieper River, has remained under Russian control since the early stages of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
