European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno announced a hunger strike on October 20 to draw international attention to the plight of civilians in Oleshky, a town in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Kherson region.
She called on international humanitarian organizations and governments to secure deliveries of food and medicine and to arrange the safe evacuation of residents wishing to leave.
As Meduza reported, citing Picierno's statement, she called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and international intervention to prevent further deterioration of conditions for the population.
Oleshky is under Russian military control. For months, residents have faced shortages of food and medicine, power disruptions, and limited access to medical care. Continuing shelling and mined roads have complicated evacuation efforts.
Italian Member of the European Parliament Elisabetta Gualmini joined Picierno's protest. According to Italian news agency ANSA, she announced her participation in solidarity with Oleshky's residents and urged European institutions to address their situation.
Ukrainian and Russian representatives had previously confirmed contacts concerning the possible evacuation of the town's population, but no agreed terms for a mass evacuation had been publicly announced.
The humanitarian situation in Oleshky has prompted international diplomatic appeals. Humanitarian access and evacuation were also discussed with the involvement of the Holy See.
Picierno's hunger strike is a political action by individual lawmakers, not an official decision of the European Parliament.