Ukraine’s Unyielding Struggle: From Besieged Oleshky to Odesa’s Poisoned Shores
As Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds into another year, the human toll continues to mount in both newly liberated and still-occupied territories. In the southern town of Oleshky, residents report that food supplies are critically low, with only a small number of people having managed to evacuate. The situation underscores the broader humanitarian crisis: 7 million Ukrainians remain internally displaced, and close to six million have sought refuge abroad, mainly across Europe. Meanwhile, along the roughly 1,000-kilometre frontline, the fiercest battles rage in the Donbas region, where Russian forces continue to push toward key cities such as Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka in the eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine has mounted localized counteroffensives in the south, but the fighting remains intense and costly.
In the southern city of Kherson, National Guard soldiers and their regiment’s intelligence chief describe the daily demands of defending the city against Russia’s changing tactics. As one soldier put it, the struggle is not only to hold the line but to protect civilians from near-constant shelling. The war has also wrought environmental devastation: Odesa’s Black Sea coast has become dangerous waters, with dolphins dying en masse due to pollution and naval mines. Andriy Kurkov reports that the murky waters of corruption scandals and uneasy justice further test Ukraine’s resilience at home. On the healthcare front, wounded Ukrainian soldiers are battling infections that have become resistant to many medications, adding another layer of suffering to the war’s aftermath.
Diplomatically, President Zelensky and a US-backed 20-point draft peace plan remain at the centre of efforts to end the conflict. However, territorial concessions — particularly over the Donbas — remain the key sticking point. In a separate development, Azerbaijan has pardoned Frenchman Martin Ryan months after he was jailed on spying charges, a move that followed the EU’s lifting of sanctions on a Russian billionaire. A second Frenchman remains in prison, highlighting the complex geopolitical web surrounding the war. As Ukraine enters another season of hardship, the resilience of its people and the unity of its allies will be tested as never before.
Shimanta Das 
