Russia is weaponizing winter, according to the CEO of Ukraine's largest energy company, who is urging Europe and NATO to take the Kremlin's relentless attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure seriously.
The strikes are forcing millions to cope without power in sub-freezing temperatures. Overnight, the major eastern city of Zaporizhzhia saw its electrical infrastructure pummeled by Russian drones and missiles.
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The attacks left 11,000 households without power, contributing to lengthy blackouts as freezing weather grips the country. Scripps News International Correspondent Jason Bellini spoke with one woman in Kyiv who was forced to abandon her apartment for a school serving as a heating center.
"The moment I understood that my lips are turning blue, I understood that I need to go to live somewhere else," the woman said. "It is not — I cannot put myself through it and I cannot put my cat through it. My cat is a Sphynx. He gets cold very easily."
The scenes reflect Russia’s systematic targeting of Ukraine's thermal power plants and high-voltage substations — vital links that connect nuclear plants to the national grid. Nuclear power remains Ukraine's lifeline, and Moscow appears intent on severing it.
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The campaign comes as Russia disputes U.S. claims of progress in peace negotiations. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Washington of backtracking on agreements allegedly made between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, last year — deals Lavrov says would have allowed Ukraine to surrender the Donbas region without resistance.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, residents are bracing for months of hardship. Until spring, many will rely on mobile apps to check rationed electricity schedules, embracing the misery of winter as a point of national pride and resilience.
