Ukraine prepares for a hard winter and for the evacuation of Kyiv

This is Ananjeva Elena Ivanova, 71 years old. She lives in the Ukrainian town of Mykolaiv, where Russian attacks have destroyed the pipe system so this woman, like thousands of Ukrainians, lives without a clean water supply. It is one of the challenges of what could be the hardest winter Ukraine has ever experienced.

In many places in Ukraine (far or near the front) this image is common: water reserved for the days to come. Russia has used drones to destroy the water supply infrastructure in Ukraine.

At the end of October, when Kyiv was attacked again by the Russians, 80% of the population living in the Ukrainian capital, according to The New York Times, was left without a water supply. Part of that supply was restored, but with difficulties.

The same happened with the electrical infrastructures. Russian drone strikes have turned Kyiv into a city of dark streets, where only car headlights are visible at dusk.

People lack electricity and use flashlights, generators and other elements in their homes to make up for the lack of supply.

And, if necessary, candlelight is the only recourse for many Ukrainians. But the real problem is the low temperatures and how to combat them without electricity.

Although the Ukrainian authorities try to alleviate the suffering caused by the war, scenes like this, with retirees crowding to receive soup and other food, are repeated in different cities of the country. The conflict also has a social impact that affects the weakest.

Russia has lost territory that it had conquered but with its attacks it intends to punish Kyiv, which is a symbol of resistance. Therefore, the mayor of the city sent a message to the entire population.

The New York Times reported that the Kyiv authorities have prepared 1,000 heating points. These are schools and other spaces where people can go to warm up when the cold is at its worst.

On November 5, it was Zelensky himself, according to the Associated Press, who said in a speech to his compatriots that 4.5 million Ukrainians were without electricity due to Russian attacks.

Denise Brown, the United Nations coordinator for Ukraine, warned on CNN of "a high risk of mortality during the winter months."

Among the possibilities that, according to different media, the Ukrainian authorities have considered, would be to completely evacuate the capital, a city of almost three million inhabitants.

The Kyiv municipal government warns about the possibility of a total blackout in the city. If the Russian attacks intensify, as a city council official confessed to The New York Times, "we could lose our entire electrical system." That would mean that there would not even be electricity for emergencies, hospitals, sewer pumping, etc.

When the winter cold arrives and the electricity supply cannot be restored, many Ukrainians will have to move elsewhere. The result would be a huge humanitarian crisis starring millions of Ukrainian refugees.

People in Ukraine have been stockpiling firewood for weeks to keep warm this winter. But that is not a solution. Maybe in rural areas but not in big cities like Kyiv.

At the moment, it's autumn in Ukraine (as you can see in this image from Kyiv) and temperatures haven't plummeted yet. But the cold is imminent. And the cold in Ukraine can kill.