Behind Enemy Lines on the Home Front

"[Putin is] clearly weaponizing winter to inflict immense suffering on the Ukrainian people [and] trying to freeze the country into submission."

"Having struggled on the battlefield Moscow is now adopting a cowardly and inhumane strategy that punishes Ukrainian men, women and children."

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

"We have chopped wood, we will survive."

"They [Russian invaders] have destroyed my apartment already. That was worse than this. This is our life and our life has prepared us."

"We will not give up, and everything that happened in March was much worse than now. We already know it can be worse."

Tatiana, Ukrainian internally displaced citizen

"I am a bit worried about winter but we have been preparing getting firewood ready and warm clothing."

"More than anything we hope that there will not be another invasion."

"Although we had no electricity [for six months under Russian military occupation], somehow we survived."

"Human beings will find a way to survive in any conditions."

Artem Famenko, 39, municipal water department worker, Izyum, Ukraine

Tetiana Reznychenko, a resident of the Ukrainian village of Horenka, shovels snow near her apartment building, which has no electricity, heating or running water, November  2022

 

In preparation for being plunged into the icy depths of winter, Ukrainians in the east in particular are gathering firewood, knowing how imperative it is to be self-reliant at a time their country is under siege by an aggressor pursuing a punishing strategy of forcing millions of ordinary citizens to scrounge for materials in the hopes of getting through a stark winter without electricity and heat; possibly a shortage of food and medicines, and potable water.

The city of Izyum in the east, occupied by the Russian military for six months and finally freed from Russian occupation and the indignities, dangers and hardships accompanying that state, are relieved they have been returned to Ukrainian rule through a Ukrainian military counteroffensive that routed the Russian military. The city, however, was ransacked and much of it ruined. And now that the Russians hastily retreated, they still aim their missiles and drones at the city, acts of war against civilian infrastructure.

City residents will take whatever opportunity presents itself to stock up on firewood, including chopping  ammunition crates discarded by the retreating Russian military. The outlook for survival is grim but they face it with confidence, Ukrainians preparing themselves, knowing that mid-winter will bring plunging temperatures as low as -20C and the prospect of a winter as miserable as those they suffered through during World War II.

 

Members of Ukrainian army prepare BM-21 Grad rockets to be launched in Bakhmut, Donetsk, Ukraine on November 26, 2022

 

They are under no illusions, knowing full well that it is not only the brutal winter cold without adequate heating and electricity that will test their endurance, but the constant shelling of civilian infrastructure, from apartment buildings to hospitals that will challenge the resolve of the people to endure and hope for better days and an end to the 9-month-long war. There is much work to be done, firewood chopped and ready, windows to be covered for cold-insulation and amassing warm winter clothing.

"[Putin's Wednesday barrage had created a situation not seen for 80 or 90 years] -- a country on the European continent where there was no light."

"Together we endured nine months of full-scale war and Russia has not found a way to break us, and will not find one."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

"Put simply, this winter will be about survival."

"We expect two to three million more people to leave their homes in search of warmth and safety."

Dr. Hans Kluge, Europe director World Health Organization

For most people who refused to leave their city for other parts of Ukraine more secure and further from enemy lines, the fear is the possibility of a return by the Russian occupiers. The occupation from March to just a few weeks ago was agonizing, a terrible time in the lives of the residents of Izyum and other nearby communities. The prospect of their winter hardships while concerning, seems less worrisome than the thought of falling under Russian occupation again.

 

Ongoing waves of Russian missiles and explosive drones badly damaged the entire country's power grid, knocking up to half of the country's capacity off line. Some of the most damaging attacks struck the system in midweek. Half of Kyiv was still without power two days later, while engineers struggled to reconnect people to the grid. Authorities established "invincibility centres" for people to charge their phones, to warm up and to be given hot drinks. 

Aid agencies warn that winter will see misery on a greater scale afflict a people already under huge stress by relentless Russian missile attacks targeting the width and breadth of the country Russian is doing its best to eviscerate Ukraine. Over six million Ukrainian citizens left their homes in a mass movement to other, safer parts of the country. A like number of Ukrainian refugees have gone abroad for safe haven. Their government has appealed to them to remain where they are through the winter, to save energy for use in hospitals and other critical social welfare establishments.

A view from Kyiv after the snow hits capital city on November 19, 2022 as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Ukraine

 

For Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, no assistance has trickled through since the beginning of the conflict. With winter offering more difficulties to daily living, the concern is that they may succumb to the necessity to make perilous trips across front lines. "It's going to be an incredibly difficult winter and providing humanitarian assistance is a matter of life and death" Marysia Zapasnik, Ukraine director for the International Rescue Committee aid agency, said grimly.Troops on either side, are facing living in the open under freezing rain conditions.

Some Ukrainian servicemen are beginning to suffer from trench foot, a condition associated with swelling and numbness of the feet. Hopes are high nonetheless that they will be able to endure the rigours of winter better than their poorly equipped Russian counterparts. Lacking proper winter equipment and clothing, newly mobilized Russian forces complain of being thrown into the forest unprepared.

"Of course we are nervous. We understand winter is coming and we understand that the attacks will continue."

"All these strikes are concentrating our community, concentrating our nation to unite. Yes the situation is hard, but it's a great mistake for our enemy to think they can change the will of the Ukrainian people."

Mayor Igor Terekhov, Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine

Winter weather could disproportionately harm poorly-equipped Russian forces in Ukraine,' defence analysts from the ISW said (destroyed Russian convoy pictured in Bucha, March 1 2022