Olena Janchuk faces yet another day isolated in her high-rise apartment in Kyiv, dealing with severe rheumatoid arthritis. She has been confined to the 19th floor of her building for weeks due to ongoing blackouts caused by Russian attacks on power infrastructure. The lack of consistent power supply has rendered the elevators dysfunctional, making it a challenge to navigate the 650 steps to the ground.
The freezing temperatures, dropping to –10 C in January, have created a constant frost on the inside of Janchuk’s windows, with white patterns spreading across the glass each morning. To combat the cold, she relies on a makeshift fireplace made of candles and stacked bricks that slowly release heat. Power strips are overloaded with USB charging cables, and she uses an electric blanket connected to a power bank during the coldest hours.
Janchuk explains, “When there’s no light and heat for 17 and a half hours, you have to come up with something. The bricks work best in a small room, so we stay in there.” The family shifts between rooms during the day based on where sunlight enters, adapting their activities to the blackout schedule. Nights are spent bundled up in heavy clothing as the absence of central heating quickly cools the apartment.
Kyiv, home to about three million people, is predominantly filled with tower blocks, many originating from the Soviet era, now enduring extensive power shortages. Electricity has become a rationed resource, dictating residents’ daily routines for cooking, bathing, and utilizing electrical appliances. Food choices are made based on shelf-life, water is stored in containers, and small gas burners are used for cooking when power is unavailable.
Residents across the city adjust to life around the electricity timetable, strategically using USB lamps, power banks, and inverter batteries. Neighbors communicate through Telegram chats to support the elderly and exchange blackout updates. Those residing in upscale areas collectively fund generators to maintain elevator operations, a luxury unaffordable to most in the community, including pensioners, families, and individuals with disabilities.
The ongoing conflict has inflicted significant damage on Ukraine’s infrastructure, particularly its energy sector. Numerous power stations and transmission lines have been targeted, leading to frequent blackouts even with electricity imports from Europe. Operators implement rolling blackouts to prevent a complete grid collapse, ensuring critical services remain operational amidst the darkness that engulfs homes.
In a coal-fired power plant that has been repeatedly attacked, supervisor Yuriy navigates through the wreckage, with repairs conducted under torchlight. The plant’s equipment has been severely damaged, resulting in substantial repair costs exceeding $20 billion US. The city of Kyiv continues to adjust its power-saving measures, with hopes of restoring normalcy seeming distant in the midst of ongoing conflict.
Despite the hardships, the resilience of Ukrainians remains unwavering as they endure the challenges imposed by the war, clinging to the hope of brighter days post-conflict.