In Pictures

Photos: Ukraine says it’s survived its ‘most difficult winter’

Ukraine says it has survived a months-long winter onslaught of Russian attacks on water and energy infrastructure.

This photograph shows a destroyed car and a heavily damaged house in the town of Svyatogirsk, Donetsk region — A destroyed car and a heavily damaged house in the town of Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region, on March 1, 2023. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

By AFP

Russia has been pummelling key infrastructure facilities in Ukraine with missiles and drones for months, disrupting millions of people’s water, heating and electricity supplies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Ukrainians for surviving a winter marked by systematic Russian attacks on energy facilities, which plunged millions into darkness and cold.

“We have overcome this winter. It was a very difficult period, and every Ukrainian experienced this difficulty, but we were still able to provide Ukraine with power and heat,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address on Wednesday.

Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba hailed the first day of spring as another “major defeat” for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

“We survived the most difficult winter in our history. It was cold and dark, but we were unbreakable,” Kuleba said in a statement.

Aid organisations had warned at the beginning of winter that the targeted campaign would force a new wave of migration to Europe and that Ukraine’s priority would be “survival” through the months of freezing temperatures.

The Kremlin said Kyiv was responsible for civilians’ suffering stemming from the enormous outages because it had refused to capitulate to Moscow’s war demands.

But the grid has been stabilising and Ukrainian energy provider Ukrenergo said on Wednesday there had been “no power deficit” for more than two weeks.

“Engineers are also continuing repairs at all power system facilities that were previously damaged by Russian missile and drone attacks,” it said.

The war in Ukraine has seen Europe shake its deep reliance on Russian oil and gas amid waves of sanctions aimed at stemming Moscow’s ability to fund its military through energy revenues.

“The EU also won, and contrary to Moscow’s laughter, it did not freeze without Russian gas. One piece of advice to Russia: choke on your gas and choke on your missiles,” Kuleba added in the statement.

A woman pushes a bicycle down a street in Konstantinovka, Donetsk region — A woman pushes a bicycle down a street in Kostiantynovka, Donetsk region. [Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP]

This photograph shows a burned Russian MLRS Uragan and destroyed houses in the village of Sosnove, Donetsk region — A burned Russian Uragan multiple rocket launcher and destroyed houses in the village of Sosnove, Donetsk region. [Ihor Tkachov/AFP]

Local residents walk on a street as employees work on electricity cables in the town of Svyatogirsk, Donetsk region — Residents walk on a street as employees work on electricity cables in the town of Sviatohirsk, Donetsk. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

A local resident walks past a damaged church and a destroyed Russian tank in the town of Svyatogirsk — A damaged church and a destroyed Russian tank in Sviatohirsk. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

Dogs wander around as Oleksandr sits on a railroad track in the town of Lyman, Donetsk region. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

This photograph shows war damaged railroad tracks and power lines in the Sosnove village, Donetsk region — Railroad tracks and power lines damaged by fighting in the Sosnove village, Donetsk. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

Local residents charge their devices in a rural outpatient clinic, equipped with a generator and satellite internet due to lack of electricity, in the village of Dubivka, Kharkiv — Residents of Dubivka village, Kharkiv, charge their devices in a rural outpatient clinic equipped with a generator and satellite internet due to a lack of electricity. [Sergey Bobok/AFP]

Local residents walk past destroyed APC (armored personnel carier) in the town of Svyatogirsk, Donetsk region — The Ukrainian presidency said on Wednesday that the latest Russian attacks in the Donetsk region had killed three civilians and injured another four. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

A woman checks her smatphone next to the goats in the town of Svyatogirsk, Donetsk region — A woman checks her smatphone next to goats in Sviatohirsk. [Anatolii Stepanov/AFP]

This photograph shows a destroyed car and a heavily damaged house in the village of Tsupivka, Kharkiv region — A destroyed car and a heavily damaged house in the village of Tsupivka, Kharkiv region. [Sergey Bobok/AFP]

A local resident receives humanitarian aid supplies in premises of a post office in the village of Dubivka, Kharkiv region — A Dubivka resident receives humanitarian aid supplies at a post office. [Sergey Bobok/AFP]