The fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the twelfth year of this war of barbarians against the civilized world, continues. 

I first wrote about the massive Russian shelling of the energy systems of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages on November 24, 2022. You can read it here.

Back then, I was shocked, because the lack of electricity is not just about the lights not working in your apartment. It means no running water supply and no heating in residential buildings, industrial enterprises, and hospitals. It means the public transport system comes to a standstill. It's like trying to stop the functioning of an organism called Ukraine.

In March 2023, my family and I found ourselves in a three-day blackout in my hometown of Kharkiv after cruel attacks — in freezing weather. 

Winter of 2025-26 is brutal because the weather is particularly harsh this year. It is no longer shocking that the Russians continue their attempts to destroy our energy infrastructure, but lived reality continues to get more and more horrific. It's like a see-saw: our utility people repair as much as possible right away and then something else is hit. Air defense is in too short supply.

I currently live in a small town in western Ukraine, where I work at a bread factory. During these days of simultaneous attacks on the power grid, constant power outages, and severe frost, our factory is forced to turn on a generator so that people are not left without bread and we are not left without work...

But now our eyes and thoughts are focused on the “heart of Ukraine,” the capital of our country, the multimillion-strong city of Kyiv, where the situation is extremely difficult. With one wave after another of barbaric attacks, shelling the energy system during sub-zero temperatures, it's clear — the Russians are trying to break our will and resistance. But we are Ukrainians. We are strong.

Despite outages that can last more than 16 hours a day, Kyiv residents endure. My friend, Nataliia, describes how they help each other with all that needs to be done, often in only ~3 hours of electricity per 24 hours. It's intermittent, different in different places across the city. 

Can you imagine living on the 20th floor of a building with a dog, and all that means in the day with no elevator working... then with siren warnings of imminent drone and missile attacks throughout the night, when you should go down to the ground to a shelter?

I write to suppliers of our factory and manufacturers in Kyiv: “How are you?” And I get a message back: “Hi, Oksana! Thanks for the kind words and the order! We’re rushing to work like it’s a big party, because we’ve got an industrial generator, light, heat, and coffee here — it makes us want to live!”

THIS RAISES THE QUESTION: IS THIS RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE? I am sure that it is NOT. This is a war of barbarians against the civilized world. 
***And the entire civilized world must understand that in its desire to destroy the achievements of modern civilization, culture, science, and democracy, the current Russian government will stop at nothing. Therefore, it is better to be prepared for provocations and to use the experience of the Ukrainian people and military.