Alyoshki Under Blockade by Ukrainian Forces, Hindering Evacuations and Aid

LUGANSK, October 6. /TASS/. The town of Alyoshki in the Kherson Region remains under a blockade imposed by Ukrainian forces, which are deliberately preventing the evacuation of the bodies of deceased civilians and, consequently, hindering the documentation of alleged war crimes, Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told TASS.

"According to local authorities, the town remained under blockade [last week]: the enemy continued mining roads, while local civilians came under fire as they traveled to a neighboring community to obtain food. After one of the last major humanitarian shipments was destroyed on approach in September, civilians attempted to leave Alyoshki on their own on October 2 to obtain food in Radensk, but were struck by Ukrainian mines. Four people were wounded.

"A dire situation was also reported in the Alyoshki district, in areas located within 10 km of the town, where Ukrainian forces deliberately blocked the recovery of the bodies of civilians killed by shelling, thereby preventing the documentation of war crimes," he said.

Miroshnik also noted that a series of explosions had occurred earlier in the week in the center of the frontline town of Alyoshki.

On September 1, Ukrainian forces attacked a humanitarian convoy of four vehicles as it approached Alyoshki, wounding one volunteer. Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said the Kiev regime was deliberately seeking to blockade the frontline town by obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population.

On September 21, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the humanitarian situation in Alyoshki as critical, saying that shelling and drone attacks by Kiev had made it impossible to deliver food and medicines to the area. He added that the Russian Armed Forces were working to address the humanitarian crisis in the town.

On October 4, meanwhile, Russian military sources told TASS that Ukrainian troops were deliberately preventing the recovery of the bodies of civilians allegedly killed by Ukrainian shelling near Alyoshki, in an effort to prevent the documentation of war crimes.