Russian ice torture

Ukrainians now face death from cold in their own homes

Indoor temperatures sometimes drop below freezing.(Bild: AFP/SERGEI SUPINSKY)

While Russia continues to bombard its neighbor with massive attacks, Ukrainians are shivering in unbearable cold. Those affected report inhumane conditions: in some homes, the water in toilets and sinks has frozen, and furniture is breaking.

Due to massive attacks by the Russian army on power plants and electricity distribution networks, the inhabitants of Ukrainian cities are freezing: since the beginning of the year, there has been hardly any electricity or heat in their homes, and in some places not even water – and this during an exceptionally cold winter with temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius. The regions of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, as well as Kyiv and the Kyiv region are particularly affected.

She would not take off her winter gear at home and even slept with her hat on, Tatjana from Kyiv told the US-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe. The thermometer in her apartment now only shows between one and two degrees.

Anger and disillusionment set in
"Today, someone will die because of the cold. Not on the front lines. Not from missiles. Just in their own apartment. Quietly. Without witnesses," Olga Popadjuk from Chernivtsi is certain. She published an emotional letter on social media that attracted a lot of attention. "Eighty years have passed since World War II. The world said 'never again'. People said 'we have changed'. Nothing has changed. People today are the same beasts," Popadjuk says indignantly.

The cold is so penetrating that there is nowhere to hide from it. It is in the walls, in the floor, in your fingers and in your head. "It doesn't go away, even if you lie down in bed under three blankets and pretend to be asleep," says the desperate woman.

"I hold my son tight. I do everything right, as it says in the survival instructions. But the power is out for six hours. Then it comes back on for an hour. And in that one hour, you can't manage to get the warmth back," Popadjuk explains of her inhuman everyday life.

"The world is falling into the abyss"
Anna Gin from Kharkiv tries to get through these difficult times with humor. In the past, the best sound was when her salary was transferred to her cell phone. Today, the beep from the extractor hood causes the greatest euphoria—the first sign that the power is back on, she describes to the Russian exile media outlet Meduza.

"And you run like crazy, shouting 'electricity,' to the power outlet, to the washing machine, to the PC. And all at the same time. Personally, I immediately turn on the news. It feels as if the world has completely changed in the last six hours, during which you've been sitting in the dark and cold. And indeed, this feeling has never deceived me. It's dark, dark, dark, and then suddenly (US President Donald, note) Trump has forgotten about Ukraine, Iran, and (the ousted dictator Nicolas, note) Maduro, he is threatening (French President Emmanuel, note) Macron with tariffs on wine and Greenland—also known as "Iceland" and "a piece of ice"—he apparently really wants to conquer it by force," reports Gin.

During the next blackout, it seems as if the world is plunging into the abyss again, and the next time the power comes back on, World War III will already be underway. At the same time, everything is open – shops, cafes, banks, pharmacies, hairdressers, and even theaters! This is made possible by power generators, whose roar exceeds even that of the constantly flying Russian Shahed drones.