Residents of Ukraine’s bombed capital clutched empty bottles looking for water, and crowded into cafes to get warmth and power Thursday. They were forced to switch into survival mode by new Russian missile strikes that struck the country a day earlier.
Some residents of Kyiv used rainwater to collect water from their drainpipes. Repair teams worked to reconnect the supplies.
Family members and friends exchanged messages to discover who had water and electricity back. Some people had both. Many were left without either after the attack on Ukraine’s power grid.
By some small miracle, cafes in Kyiv quickly turned into oases of comfort Thursday.
Oleksiy Rashchupkin (39-year-old investment banker) woke up to discover that his third-floor flat had lost power but had had water reconnected. His freezer froze in the blackout and left a puddle on his floors.
He said, “I’m here because it has heating, coffee, and light.” “Here’s life!”
Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv Mayor, said that about 70% of Ukraine’s capital was still without electricity on Thursday morning.
While Kyiv and other cities were able to recover, Kherson was subject to its most severe bombardment since the two-weeks ago when Ukrainian forces retook the southern city. Witnesses said that four people were killed in the attack on a coffee shop, and that a woman was also injured near her home.
The mood in Kyiv was dark but steady, as cold rain fell on remnants from previous snowfalls. Winter promises to be long. However, Ukrainians believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to break the country.
Alina Dubeiko (34), said, “Nobody will compromise his will and principles just to get electricity.” She too sought comfort in another cafe that was equally crowded, warm, and well lit. She was determined to continue her work even though she didn’t have electricity, heating, or water at home. Dubeiko explained that she adapts to a life without the usual comforts. She uses two glasses water to wash her hair, then puts her hair up in a ponytail, and is ready to go for work.
She stated that she would rather live without power than to be subject to the Russian invasion. This was nine months ago.
“Without light, or you?” She said that she could not live without you, echoing the remarks President Volodymyr Zilensky made on Oct. 10, when Russia launched its first of a series of air attacks against key infrastructure in Ukraine.
Western leaders condemned the bombing campaign. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, “Strikes against civilian infrastructures is war crime.”
Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry, acknowledged that it had targeted Ukrainian energy facilities. He said that they were connected to Ukraine’s military command system and control system, and that their goal was to stop the flow of weapons and ammunition to the front lines. According to Kyiv authorities, there were 7 deaths and many more injuries.
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stated: “We are conducting strikes on infrastructure in response to Ukraine’s unbridled weapons flow and reckless appeals by Kyiv to destroy Russia.”
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, also tried to shift the blame for civil hardships on Ukraine’s government.
Peskov stated that Ukraine’s leadership had every chance to restore order to the situation, and has every opportunity for resolving the matter in a manner that meets the demands of Russia and ends all suffering to the civilian population.
People lined up to fill their plastic bottles at the public water points in Kyiv. Kateryna Luchkina, a 31-year-old employee of the Health Department, used rainwater to wash her hands at work. This was a new war-time first. She filled two plastic containers and waited patiently for the rain to fill them up. She was followed by a colleague, who did the same.
“We Ukrainians have so much creativity, that we can think of anything. Luchkina stated that we don’t lose our spirit. We work and live in survival mode or some other way as much as we can. We don’t lose faith in the possibility that everything will work out fine.
Telegram’s mayor stated that power engineers were doing their best to restore electricity. Water repair teams were also making progress. Klitschko, in the early afternoon, announced that water supplies were restored throughout the capital with the caveat of “some consumers still experiencing low water pressure.”
Water, heat, and power were slowly returning to other areas. The governor of Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Region announced that the rescue of 3,000 underground miners who were trapped by power outages had been completed. Social media messages from regional authorities updated people about the status of repairs, but also stated that they still needed more time.
Authorities are aware of the hardships that winter brings, and have opened thousands of “points of Invincibility”, heated and powered areas offering hot meals, electricity, and internet connection. According to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a top official at the presidential office, more than 3,700 spaces were available across the country on Thursday morning.
Kherson’s hospitals are dealing with the terrible effects of Russian strikes intensifying. They set fire to residential and commercial buildings on Thursday, setting many ablaze and scattering glass along the streets. The injured were assisted by paramedics.
Olena Zhura was delivering bread to her neighbors when Victor, her husband, was injured by a strike that had destroyed half her house. As paramedics took him away, he writhed in pain. She was overcome with emotion and said “I was shocked.” “Then, I heard him shouting: “Save me, Save me!”
