Russia has stepped up its effort to target vital infrastructure in Ukraine as winter tightens its hold on the country. Moscow is trying to shatter the war effort of Ukraine and compel political compromises by using the severe winter as a weapon to deliberately destroy the country’s electricity systems.
In recent weeks, Russia has attacked the energy networks of Ukraine in some of its most comprehensive attacks. Nine districts saw the release of more than 91 missiles and 97 drones on Thursday, aimed at civilian infrastructure, fuel stores, and power plants.
Although 79 missiles and 35 drones were intercepted, 12 missiles struck important objectives, causing widespread outages, according to Ukraine’s air force.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s use of ATACMS missiles supplied by the US against Russian territory prompted the attacks. He threatened to launch more attacks on Kyiv’s “decision-making centers” if the situation in Ukraine worsened.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, denounced the assaults as a “despicable escalation” and charged Russia with utilizing cruise missiles armed with cluster explosives.
To create a concerted response, he has enlisted the help of Western allies such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. During a nocturnal speech, Zelenskyy declared, “Now is the time to strengthen our positions—both Ukraine’s and our partners’.”
In the immediate aftermath, more than a million Ukrainians lost electricity, and millions more experienced worsening rolling blackouts. Entire districts were plunged into darkness, with half a million people living in places like Rivne, Volyn, and Lviv.
Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state grid operator, declared emergency measures and warned that outages of 12 hours or more might occur in some locations.
With temperatures frequently falling below -20 degrees Celsius, the severe winter in Ukraine presents a serious challenge to a populace already ravaged by conflict.
Since the fighting started, almost half of the country’s electricity generation capacity has been destroyed, leaving millions of people at risk of severe cold. Many people are put in danger of death when rolling blackouts interrupt water and heating supply.
In frontline areas like Kherson, Sumy, and Kharkiv, the elderly are especially vulnerable. Many elderly people are cooped up in chilly houses, unable to get help or warmth. The problem is made worse by communication breakdowns, which leave families unsure of the whereabouts of their loved ones.
According to humanitarian organizations, there are an estimated 3.4 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine, many of whom are housed in communal shelters that are inadequately prepared for the harsh winter months. “It will be catastrophic if the energy system fails,” Ukrainian analyst Alexey Kovzhun told The Media Line.
The impact on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure is enormous. Russia has launched at least 11 significant attacks since March, causing distribution networks to be seriously damaged and power plants to go offline.
Ukraine had already lost 9GW of generating capacity before to the November strikes, which is about half of what is required to satisfy peak winter demand.
Residents of the 25-story Pozniaky district in Kyiv banded together to install a generator in the basement that could supply hot water and operate one elevator. To keep vital services running, hospitals, schools, and small businesses all around the nation have resorted to diesel generators.
But there is a price for this dependence on backup systems. Urban air quality has deteriorated due to diesel emissions, and generator noise has become an unbearable constant.
Western allies of Ukraine have increased their attempts to lessen the harm. The largest commercial energy provider in Ukraine, DTEK, has received $113 million from the US government and the European Commission to repair and weatherproof damaged buildings.
US President Joe Biden called for more assistance for Ukraine and denounced the Russian assaults as “outrageous.” Leaders from NATO and Europe agreed with him, promising further military and humanitarian support.
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Even with this support, problems still exist. More than 14 million Ukrainians still need immediate humanitarian assistance, and as winter deepens, situations are predicted to get worse.
The severe situation in eastern Ukraine, where households are unable to heat their homes due to solid fuel shortages and soaring prices, was brought to light by the International Rescue Committee.
Ukraine’s people continue to be resilient as the country enters its third winter since the full-scale invasion. But the stakes are higher than ever.
