Those in Kyiv have begun storing food and water for the winter
The Ukrainian government expects the Russian military to intensify strikes on energy facilities in winter.
Kyiv residents have started stockpiling food and water for the winter
The Kyiv government has begun preparing for prolonged power outages in the upcoming winter. Today, the city administration announced that food and drinking water reserves have been prepared.
With the help of these reserves, it is possible to provide hot meals to 25,000 people in the city. City hall officials stated that these products are primarily intended for low-income citizens. Additionally, the reserves can be used in "Points of Invincibility" in the event of a blackout, to assist victims of emergencies, and to provide food for rescue service workers.
Officials further stated that there are plans to purchase an additional 20,000 food packages.
A few days ago, Kyiv city hall officials said that accommodation centers had also been prepared for the most vulnerable segments of the population. So far, applications for winter housing have been received from more than 1,300 elderly people living alone, nearly 400 families with children with disabilities, and 500 individuals with disabilities.
The Ukrainian government expects that with the onset of cold weather, Russia will intensify attacks on energy infrastructure in major cities, as it did in previous winters. Last winter, such strikes caused hundreds of thousands of people to be left without light and heat for several days in severe cold. Kyiv fears that the consequences of attacks in the coming winter will be much more severe, as Russia has already destroyed 80 percent of Ukraine's energy generation capacity.
In August, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal predicted that the Russian military would attack not only energy facilities but also Ukraine's water supply systems in the winter. "Last winter, they damaged power grids and heating systems, but even without electricity, if there is gas and water, it was possible to survive. Without water and sewage, however, it is very difficult to endure for more than three days," he said.