Eating garden weeds to survive in Russian-occupied city cut off from food and water

"Two more civilians died last night," says Halia, before her phone connection cuts off.

She is trapped in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which she says is "constantly shelled" and cut off from food and water.

Three days later she tells me the two who were killed were a husband and wife. She knew them well.

They were bringing home a bag of food from the closest neighbouring town of Radensk, 23km (14 miles) away, but were unable to get home before a curfew imposed by Russian occupation authorities.

They were then killed by a drone. Four separate sources have confirmed the deaths of two civilians carrying food on 20 September.

Halia does not want to share their names for fear she might be identified. Her name has been changed to protect her safety.

Hers is just one of the many harrowing accounts the BBC has heard from residents in the front-line city in southern Kherson in recent days.

Occupied by Russia since 2022, Oleshky is trapped between the Dnipro River, which separates it from Ukrainian positions, and Russian forces.

本文の著作権はBBCにあります。