Investigators link two Russian units to worsening humanitarian crisis in occupied Oleshky

Slidstvo.Info reported that two Russian formations - the 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet and the 331st Guards Parachute Regiment from the 98th Guards Airborne Division - have been present in and around Oleshky since the city fell under occupation early in the invasion. The brigade, formed in occupied Crimea in 2014, was formerly led by Colonel Oleg Aleksandrov and is now under Konstantin Kochetkov, while the parachute regiment has been commanded by Colonel Oleg Morozov since August 2025.

Russian troops have installed guns, mortars and mines in civilian neighborhoods, effectively using the remaining roughly 2,000 residents, including nearly 50 children, as human shields to protect their positions from Ukrainian artillery. Deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Tolokonnikov said this tactic prevents Ukrainian forces from striking the settlements. Humanitarian access remains restricted, prompting Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty to warn of violations of international law. On Sept. 27, Ukrainian forces managed to air-drop four tons of food to the city, distributing supplies at 100 locations, a delivery.