In the humble backyard of a destroyed house, a 13-year-old chops firewood to get ready for winter. His mother, Tetiana Yarema, has been preparing for months, as she remembers last winter’s Russian strikes on the energy infrastructure that plunged Ukraine into darkness.
“Those were dark days. I didn’t want anything. I just wanted to pack my things and go abroad,” said Yarema, 48, who added that she stayed at her son’s insistence.
For the Yarema family, like millions of Ukrainians touched by Russia’s invasion of the country, winter is an especially challenging time.
Photo: AP
The mother and son live in trailers that were set up in their backyard after fighting in the early days of the war destroyed their house in Moshchun, a village about 25km northwest of Kyiv.
“I have a feeling that when the cold sets in, they’ll start bombing again,” the woman said, echoing the sentiments of many Ukrainians.
This time, they say they are better prepared.
Sales of generators exploded toward the end of summer. Some, who can afford it, have invested in solar panels. Others, like Yarema, have been purchasing candles, batteries, flashlights and portable lanterns, and stocking up on compact gas canisters, making the most of discounted prices.
“It’s a bit challenging ... but I already know what to do,” she said.
Last winter was declared the most challenging in the history of Ukraine’s energy system, with more than 1,200 missiles and drones fired by Russians at power plants, Ukrainian state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo said.
The strikes affected almost a half of Ukraine’s energy capacity. People were forced to endure hours without electricity and water during the coldest months in what Ukrainian officials described as “energy terror.”
Millions of people across Ukraine had to learn to work, live and cover their basic needs without relying on electricity.
After a lull of six months, Ukraine’s energy system sustained its first attack of the season on Sept. 21, resulting in damage to facilities in the central and western regions, Ukrenergo said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has committed to substantially enhancing air defense systems, which already have demonstrated greater effectiveness than the previous year.
“Everyone must play their part in defensive efforts to ensure that Russian aggression does not halt Ukraine this winter. Just as on the battlefield, in all areas, we must be resilient and strong,” Zelenskiy said in a recent address to the nation.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal recently announced that the US has allocated US$522 million for energy equipment and the protection of Ukraine’s infrastructure.
“We stand on the threshold of a difficult winter. Thanks to the assistance of our allies, we successfully weathered the last, which was the most challenging winter season in our history,” Shmyhal said.
Major retailer Epicenter said that sales of generators increased 80 percent in August compared with a year earlier, and sales of portable charging stations increased by 25-fold.
Yurii Musienko, 45, another resident of Moshchun, said he plans to rely heavily on firewood, and has a wood-burning stove in his compact wooden trailer that has been provided to him for two years, and which sits next to his ruined home.
“I’ve already adapted,” he said with a smile. The gates of his home still bear the holes from exploded ammunition that serve as a reminder of when Russian forces tried to seize the Ukrainian capital.
“May no one ever have to endure such conditions,” said his mother, Valentyna Kiriian, who lives in a separate plastic trailer installed in the same courtyard.
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