The southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky has devolved into "hell on earth" as thousands of remaining residents face starvation and hundreds are fleeing through a war zone littered with mines and bodies, local officials and humanitarian workers told ABC News.

Oleshky, located on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, has been under Russian occupation since 2022. Since Ukraine liberated Kherson on the western bank in the fall of 2022, the Dnipro has served as the frontline in the southern theater of the conflict. Recent weeks have seen an increasing focus on the deteriorating conditions on the river's left bank, with Ukrainian forces holding positions just miles away on the right bank.

Tetiana Hasanenko, head of the Oleshky Military Administration, stated that the city's prewar population of around 40,000 has dwindled to approximately 6,000 in the surrounding areas, with only about 2,000 remaining in Oleshky itself. Those who remain face dire living conditions, with little apparent effort by the Russian occupation authority to alleviate their suffering.

Communications from residents describe desperate rationing of food, severe medication shortages, and constant movement between abandoned homes to evade drone attacks and Russian troops. "The blockade is complete. Endless drones, fires. Like a horror movie," read one message shared with ABC News.

Kseniia Arkhipova, a volunteer coordinating evacuations from the Ukrainian-controlled side of the river, noted a significant increase in departures following a recent collapse in food supplies. She explained that while a letter-writing campaign in the spring had led to the demining of some local roads and a temporary influx of supplies, the situation worsened dramatically after September 1.

On that date, a food convoy heading to Oleshky was attacked. Both Ukrainian and Russian officials blamed each other for the incident. Arkhipova recounted that the convoy was "blown up. And then they were shot." Following the attack, drones targeted the convoy, disabling vehicles and causing oil leaks, forcing the drivers to walk 100 kilometers back. This event prompted more residents to attempt escape on foot, driven by the scarcity of food.

Before the recent collapse, residents had been surviving partly on produce from their own gardens, though prices for basic goods were prohibitively high and many lacked funds to purchase them. The summer months offered a brief respite, but the disruption of supply lines has plunged the city into a deepening humanitarian crisis.

The ongoing blockade and the perilous journey out of the occupied territory highlight the severe challenges faced by civilians caught in the crossfire, with limited access to essential resources and constant threats to their safety.