Olena Janchuk, a former kindergarten teacher with severe rheumatoid arthritis, is enduring the bitter cold in her high-rise apartment in Kyiv. Due to prolonged blackouts caused by Russia’s attacks on power infrastructure, the elevators in her 19th-floor building are often non-functional. With temperatures dropping to -10 C in January, frost forms inside her windows, creating intricate patterns by morning. To stay warm, the 53-year-old relies on a makeshift fireplace made of candles and stacked bricks for slow heat release. Charging cables sprawl across the floor, connecting to overloaded power strips, and her electric blanket is powered by a rationed power bank during the coldest hours.
In a city of approximately three million people dominated by Soviet-era tower blocks, Kyiv residents face electricity rationing as a way of life during this fourth winter of conflict. Daily routines revolve around electricity schedules, dictating when to cook, shower, charge devices, and do laundry. To adapt, residents stock up on long-lasting food, store water in bottles, and use camping gas burners for cooking during power outages. The disruption also affects sleep patterns, with air raid sirens and the need to use electricity during specific hours adding to the challenges.
In Kyiv, diesel generators hum on the streets, providing power to businesses, while residents navigate darkened aisles using phone flashlights, and candlelit bars offer a glimpse of normalcy. Apps alert users to limited electricity windows, allowing time for essential tasks. Residents on higher floors face additional challenges, climbing stairs in darkness during blackouts, often leaving supplies for those stranded in elevators mid-cut.
Efforts to mitigate the impact include pooling resources for generators in upscale neighborhoods, while advocates push for funding to provide generators for all residential buildings, especially for vulnerable populations. In the absence of a reliable power supply, households rely on USB lamps, power banks, and inverter batteries. Neighbors communicate through messaging apps to support each other during blackouts.
The repeated attacks on power stations and transmission lines have severely strained Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leading to rolling blackouts to prevent a collapse of critical services. Repair work is often done under challenging conditions, as seen at a coal-fired power plant where Yuriy, a shift supervisor, navigates through damaged equipment and pays tribute to colleagues lost in attacks. The war has inflicted over $20 billion US in direct damage to Ukraine’s energy sector, according to estimates by international organizations.
Kyiv continues to adapt to the energy crisis, implementing power-saving measures and exploring decentralized power generation solutions. However, for residents like Olena Janchuk and her family, the struggle with daily blackouts and cold temperatures remains a harsh reality. Despite the hardships, the resilience of Ukrainians shines through as they endure the challenges until the conflict comes to an end.
