Slidstvo.Info Identifies Russians Involved in the Blockade and Starvation of Oleshky

Journalists have identified Russian soldiers and their commanders allegedly responsible for creating a humanitarian crisis in the occupied city of Oleshky, in Ukraine’s Kherson region.

The findings come from an investigation by the Ukrainian outlet Slidstvo.Info.

The blockade of the city and the deprivation of civilians of food and medicine have been linked to personnel from Russia’s 126th Coastal Defense Brigade and 331st Guards Airborne Regiment.

Around 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, which has been occupied since the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. They are living in critical conditions due to a lack of gas, electricity, and food supplies.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces periodically drop humanitarian aid to civilians, but this does not solve the problem of systemic hunger in the besieged city.

Since March, the Kherson Regional Military Administration, along with a unit of the 11th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine and soldiers from the 34th Marine Brigade “Borysfen,” has organized drone-delivered food drops across the Dnipro River.

The main formation responsible for this area within the Dnepr grouping is the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s 126th Coastal Defense Brigade, based in Perevalne, Crimea.

According to the journalists’ investigation, the brigade is commanded by Colonel Oleg Aleksandrov, or by 43-year-old Konstantin Kochetkov, who is listed in OSINT projects.

The brigade’s units have previously suffered significant losses in fighting in the Kherson region, while its personnel have publicly complained about the command’s lack of supplies and evacuation support.

The second unit involved in the blockade of the Oleshky community is the 331st Guards Airborne Regiment from Kostroma, which is part of the 98th Airborne Division.

The unit is known for its alleged involvement in the killing of Ukrainian soldiers during their attempted withdrawal from the encirclement in Ilovaisk in 2014, as well as for fighting in the Kyiv region and near Chasiv Yar.

According to the investigators, the 331st Regiment is commanded by 40-year-old Oleg Morozov, whose call sign is “Kholod.” He was appointed to the position last August.