As Russia keeps attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, millions are affected by blackouts. Jaime Wah, deputy head of the Red Cross delegation in Kyiv, says the biggest challenge is the lack of heating when temperatures drop to minus twenty Celcius.

Kyiv

Millions of Ukrainians are facing critical power and heating shortages as winter temperatures drop as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. The ongoing conflict has led to repeated attacks on energy infrastructure, resulting in frequent blackouts and making daily life increasingly difficult for civilians.

Relief efforts by organizations such as the Red Cross, in coordination with Ukrainian authorities, provide hot meals, drinks, and psychosocial support at heating points across affected cities. Despite the hardships and financial strain, Ukrainians are showing resilience and solidarity, supporting each other and maintaining hope as they navigate the ongoing crisis.

Millions of Ukrainians affected by blackouts

All right we had some technical issues there with that report but we can talk about what is happening in Ukraine with Jamie Waugh who is Deputy Head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Kyiv. Jamie thank you so much for joining us. Tell us first of all how people are coping without power and heating when the outside temperatures are as low as minus 10 or 15 degrees centigrade. Yeah thanks for having me. The situation is quite critical. I think we've been experiencing no power now on and off for a number of months but no heating is becoming very very unbearable for especially during the nights when the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees. I'm sitting in an office now with no heating, no electricity but we do manage to go about our day. However it is more difficult than it's ever been before especially since the escalation of this conflict. I can see that you are wearing what looks like a very warm jacket to keep you warm. Tell us a little bit about what people do in a sort of practical way to cope in situations like this. I mean are people helping each other more than usual? How do they get through this? Yeah most of us have been able to adapt. In the homes we have other energy sources, battery packs that allow us to have some sort of energy for a period of time. These are not usually enough to heat apartments so we do need to find other solutions. There are heating points and stabilization points across the city for apartment complexes that have been affected. Our teams on the ground are working closely with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Red Cross Society have been in these heating points. They've been working hand in hand with them, giving out hot meals, giving hot drinks, providing psychosocial support for those that are finding this exceptionally difficult during this time. But Ukrainians are quite resilient, they're working very closely together, they're looking after their neighbours, but yes the situation is quite critical. Now we know of course that Russia's attacks have been relentless, they continue. So the efforts that organizations such as yours are making to help people in Ukraine, I mean are those efforts in vain if these attacks on the energy infrastructure just going to keep continuing? They're not in vain. The attacks are continuous. Even yesterday there were five air alerts in Ukraine. So they go through the day, they go through the night and the teams that are working on the ground to try to repair the situation, it is very difficult for them. They don't stop their work when there's air alerts. As we as civilians, we're trying to go down to the shelters, but it is very difficult. Multiple times a day, our daily lives are very much affected by this, on top of the energy shortage and the heating shortage. We've heard reports of local and national officials accusing each other of not doing enough to protect the population. Talk to us a little bit about the mood in Ukraine, the sense of solidarity among Ukrainians. You were saying that Ukrainians are tough. How are they feeling right now with what they have to deal with? Ukrainians are very tough. The situation isn't easy, but in some parts of the cities you'll hear the generators churning and you'll see daily life going on seemingly as normal in any European city. Here in Kiev, even though these power outages and the heating outages make life very uncomfortable, life goes on. People are going to work, people are trying to make life as normal as possible. They're trying to take care of their neighbours and I think we do want the situation to improve and the government officials are trying their best to make that happen. In the meantime, we have to be patient, we have to help each other out. We're working closely with the government authorities to try to reach those that are most vulnerable. This is a long-standing conflict. The winter is also going to be long. The forecasted sub-zero temperatures are making it very difficult, but we put one foot in front of the other. We try to help each other. We get through each day at a time and we just try to look for little things that can help us through the day. Drinking hot chocolate, drinking hot water, just trying to find company in each other. I haven't mentioned also the financial toll that is taking on us. It's hard to even cook a meal in your home, so you're going out to eat more often, but when you go out to eat, you're going out with colleagues, you're going with family, we're just through the holiday season here. So I think there is a really good spirit amongst Ukrainians here. We're trying to be as resilient with them as much as possible. It is a tough time, but we know we're going to get through this. Jamie Warr from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Kyiv, thank you so much for telling us about the situation there and do take care, keep warm. Thank you.

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Ukraine Invasion

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Breakdown