Ukraine will face the harshest winter in recent history. Zelensky: "We will not give in"
Ukraine is set to face its worst winter in recent history after Russian missile attacks on power grids plunged the entire country into cold and darkness. Since mid-October, Russia has launched five massive missile strikes that have affected 40 percent of Ukraine's energy system. Some residential areas will be without electricity for up to 12 hours a day.
Upon leaving Kherson in early November, Russian troops damaged power lines and heating stations, leaving the entire region without electricity, water and heat. On Monday, Ukrainian authorities reported that some of the electrical infrastructure had been repaired and people had electricity again. But the lines were destroyed twice by bombing. "The Russians want people to be left without electricity. This is their main tactic. As we begin to repair, the bombing begins immediately. They seem to see us, or maybe someone reports them, as has happened many times before. We just repaired the power lines and the next day we have to intervene again", says engineer Oleksandr Kravcenko. Kherson residents charge their phones in tents set up in the city, equipped with generators, internet and heaters. "I am having great difficulties. Because I work as a programmer, I need electricity. The laptop battery is low, it works for about 10 minutes. As a result, when the power goes out, I only have 10 minutes. And I have to look for a place where I can charge the battery and have Internet", says one of the residents of Herson, Oleksii Korol. "I suffer from chronic bronchitis. The power and water appeared to be connected yesterday, but at 10:30 in the evening it was disconnected again. They say that Nikolaiv has been bombed again, so there is no electricity or water again. The heating hasn't been turned on yet," says Kherson resident, Natalia Shapovalova. As temperatures drop in Kalynivka, a small town southwest of Kyiv, the few remaining residents fear they will freeze to death amid the ruins. "I want us to win as soon as possible, so that there will be peace and quiet, and all the soldiers will return home alive," says city resident Kalynivka Ina. "It's hard for everyone. I want my house, to live in peace and for my son and his girlfriend to have a place to live. Because that's not life"; Ukraine will not give in, emphasized in his traditional message to the army and population the leader of Kyiv, Volodymyr Zelensky. "In the Donetsk region - Bahmut, Soledar - now, as before, it is the most difficult. We are doing everything to help the guys out there. Everyone deserves the greatest gratitude. In the Lugansk and Kharkiv regions, we are strengthening our forces, and in the south we continue to wipe out the capabilities of the occupiers. Glory to all those who fight for Ukraine! Glory to all those who work for our country!" said President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the national electricity grid operator Ukrenergo, as of November 30, Ukraine had a 27% electricity deficit. On the first day of winter, six million Ukrainian civilians were without electricity.
