Humanitarian crisis grows in the occupied Kherson Oblast, says Ombudswoman Denisova

In temporarily occupied Krehson Oblast, Russian troops distribute expired products and medicines in exchange for residents’ personal information, reports Ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova

Residents of Kherson Oblast have limited ability to move around the region not to mention the opportunity to reach the Ukraine-controlled territory. The occupiers do not allow humanitarian convoys to deliver help to the region and loot humanitarian goods.

Kherson Mayor Ihor Kolykhaiev reported that the reserve of medicines both in the city and the region is sufficient only for two weeks. In the first days of the occupation of Kherson Oblast, the occupiers looted a large number of food shops and pharmacies and exported Ukrainian goods to Crimea and Russia.

Now, Russian troops distribute expired products and medicines in exchange for residents’ personal information like passport data, lists of retirees, and social workers. Currently, approx. 500,000 people remain in the region. Before the Russian full-scale invasion, about a million residents lived in the region.

Lyudmyla Denisova called on the UN Commission for investigating violations committed during Russia's military invasion of Ukraine to take into account these facts of human rights violations in Ukraine.

Situation in Kherson Oblast

The situation in the region remains difficult — in addition to the looming humanitarian crisis, Russian troops continue to shell the region.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia wants to hold a ‘referendum’ on the creation of a pseudo-republic ‘Kherson People's Republic’ to legalize the occupying power. They allegedly printed bulletins, brochures, posters, and booklets.

So far, the ‘referendum’ has not taken place, although, on May 11, the occupation authorities of the temporarily occupied Kherson Oblast said they planned to appeal to Vladimir Putin to join the region to Russia.

As of early May, the front line in the southern axis had been pushed back from Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) by about 50 km, now the fighting continues in Kherson Oblast. On May 12, the Operational Command South reported that in Mykolayiv and Kherson regions Russian troops continue to conduct hostilities on the occupied frontier blocking Ukrainian forces from attacking or advancing.