Winter has become a nightmare to fight with Ukrainians – but not only them.
For weeks, Russians in the Moscow region have been battling frost. About 20 thousand residents of cities such as Klimovsk, Lupiers and Podolsk lived without heat for several days. Last week, local authorities declared a state of emergency in Russia as temperatures dropped below -25 degrees Celsius.
– Many houses in our city have practically no heat. He has been gone since the beginning of the summer season. A resident of Russia said that we have appealed several times to various authorities but to no avail. A winter freeze could be a precursor to further crises in the Putin-ruled country.
The Kremlin leader planned to use the foggy weather to intensify attacks and disrupt the normal functioning of Ukrainian cities. Today, winter freezes his country.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, the main reason for the lack of heat in apartments in the Moscow region is the failure of a boiler at a local munitions factory, which not only supplies the Russian army fighting in Ukraine, but also heats Klimovsk. its outskirts.
“We get sacks and freeze…”
The difficult situation prompted some Russians to take to the streets in small protests. One of the videos posted on social media showed dozens of people gathering in snow-covered Podolsk in December to appeal to the Russian president.
One of the protestors turned to the camera to appeal directly to Putin. – We're freezing. Many houses in our city have practically no heat. He has been gone since the beginning of the summer season. We have appealed to various authorities to no avail. We get sacks and freeze… Please listen to us, she said.
She wasn't the only one — other Russians began posting photos and videos showing frozen and flooded buildings and people warming themselves by fires in the streets.
Last winter, Russian attacks caused about 40 percent damage. Ukrainian energy infrastructure and nationwide power outages.
Russia has no money
This year, the Russians resumed winter missile and drone strikes, again targeting Ukraine's energy and military infrastructure.
Kiev has so far successfully repelled Russian attacks, although Ukrainians have suffered local power outages and pipe bursts due to freezing temperatures.
“Now we see how economic sanctions and lack of resources in Russia are beginning to affect everyday life,” Ukrainian military expert Serhii Hrabsky, a reserve colonel in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told POLITICO.
– due to obstacles and Excessive military spending Inadequate funding for annual reviews of Russia's outdated housing and communal services sector. We can see that With blizzards come new crises – Added Hrabski.
The Investigative Committee of the Moscow Region, suspecting negligence, opened a criminal case regarding the limited supply of energy raw materials to residential buildings and enterprises in Podolsk.
The head of the regional administration, Grigory Artamonov, said local authorities could not access the boiler at the munitions factory, but as of January 6 they were able to turn on two additional furnaces and restore heat to several residential buildings. .
According to the Ukrainians The Russian players are finally catching on and starting to feel the effects of the methods used by the Russian players.
Despite the freeze, Russia continues to attack civilian facilities in Ukraine. Over the holidays, Kremlin forces launched at least three massive rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities. In addition, they routinely bomb front-line cities.
Yuri Kochetkov / Pop
Moscow Women, January 6, 2024
This week, the temperature in Russia rose slightly – -11 degrees Celsius. However, local authorities still had to evacuate some families with children to temporary camps and opened mobile heating points to provide residents with clothes and hot food.
“A Myth Created and Reinforced by the Russian State”
The malice of “General Frost” was unconcerned by pro-war Russian bloggers who mocked Ukrainians suffering from a pipeline explosion in Kiev. “Kiev is freezing,” wrote Ilya Tumanov, known online as Fighterbomber.
“General Mroz” also appears in stories about the Soviet Union – as its ally who helped resist the Nazis during World War II.
As for Russia's actions against Ukraine, some Kremlin propagandists are convinced that the cold winter will ultimately work in Russia's favor.
– “General Frost” is a myth created and reinforced by the Russian state since the 19th century. As a person who served in the Soviet army, I can say that nature does not favor anyone, and the Russian army has never had special training or winter, Serhiy Hrabsky concluded.
