Opinion - Ukraine faces a cold, dark winter after Russia’s energy strikes

In 2022, when Russia began its invasion of my home country of Ukraine, my husband and I sat in our living room, with no power, heat or internet. While we were being shelled by the Russian Army, we went into survival mode. He took two bricks into the kitchen and put them in the oven, hoping they would retain enough heat for us to get through the night. Thankfully, it worked.

The situation was absurd, yet it was a reality that many Ukrainians have faced every winter since the war began. And the sad truth is, many will continue to face it as we head into the coming winter season.

For much of this war, ordinary Ukrainians have survived unthinkable circumstances. Russian forces have killed, tortured and raped thousands of Ukrainian civilians. Putin has kidnapped more than 20,000 Ukrainian children and forcibly sent them into Russia. Putin’s troops have persecuted religious leaders and destroyed churches, burning Bibles all in the name of their “holy war.”

Despite these horrific war crimes, the spirit of the Ukrainian people is unbroken — and that is why Putin is doing everything he can to break our spirits this winter by destroying our energy infrastructure.

Here in Ukraine, winter is cold. Our streets are often full of unplowed snow and the temperature, persistently remains below freezing.

We depend on our heating infrastructure and electricity to make it through the season — but this year, we may not have those resources. In recent months, Russia has purposely targeted our energy grids, creating a grim situation for civilians.

Since the beginning of the war, Russian forces have destroyed eight power plants and more than 800 heat supply facilities in Ukraine. Russian strikes have led to more than $10 billion in damage to our energy system.

In August alone, Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at our power production facilities to cut our energy generation capacity. And on Nov. 17, they continued this campaign with one of the largest attacks against our power grid since the start of the war, consisting of 120 missiles and 90 drones.

These Russian attacks have disrupted essential services for Ukrainian civilians, including water distribution, heating, sewage and sanitation systems, and electrical supplies.

As a result, Ukrainian civilians and businesses have already been dealing with sustained blackouts and power outages. Ukrainian families have had to flee homes destroyed by Russian missiles. As we approach winter, the energy situation will likely become dire.

The United Nations has estimated that Russian attacks on our energy infrastructure could uproot as many as 500,000 more Ukrainians this winter who lack access to basic services. Some experts predict that we could experience 20 hours of power cuts per day.

Ukrainians cannot survive winter without heat. Without electricity or gas, a mother has no way to warm the milk for her newborn baby. Without an internet connection, a family has no way of making sure elderly family members are okay. Without heat, people will not be able to make it through the night when the temperature falls below freezing.

Ukraine is doing its best to prepare for these dire circumstances. We are repairing power stations and energy facilities as quickly as we can. Energy firms are protecting facilities with sandbags and concrete to withstand Russian attacks. Some hospitals have even installed solar panels to ensure continued power if the power plants they depend on are attacked.

But it is already December, and winter is rapidly approaching. Russia’s targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure have left us in a perilous situation that cannot be remedied without outside help.

In Ukraine, we are grateful for the support our international partners and allies have provided throughout the war. However, we implore those same partners to continue their support and help the Ukrainian people survive winter.

Thankfully — after years of consideration — the U.S. has now permitted Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia with long-range missiles. While granting this permission earlier could have saved thousands and thousands of Ukrainian lives while protecting our energy grid, we are grateful.

Now, Ukraine can strike military targets deep in Russia where the missile and drone attacks originate that have been killing innocent Ukrainian civilians and destroying our vital civil infrastructure.

Stopping these drone and missile attacks will be the difference between life and death for many Ukrainians. It will also allow our country and military forces to continue our effort to protect global freedom and democracy from Putin’s unyielding authoritarianism.

We know that Putin will stop at nothing to rebuild his idea of the Russian empire and rid Ukraine of the freedoms we fought so hard to protect.

With the help of our allies, we will survive the winter, and win the war.

Oleksandra Matviichuk is the founder and head of the Center For Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

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