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Late Tuesday afternoon, Ilyas Verdiev looked out from his Kyiv apartment into a darkened neighborhood.
He knew the darkness and cold were not unique to him.
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For weeks, millions of people in the Ukrainian capital have been accustomed to power outages caused by airstrikes targeting the country’s electrical infrastructure.
But on Tuesday, with the onset of winter, Russia struck again, this time launching their largest single-day airstrike. For the first time, Elias’ apartment building was plunged into darkness.
“I recorded this after four hours of airstrikes,” he explained on the latest episode of Sky News’ Ukraine War Diaries podcast.
“There were reports of more than 100 missiles fired from Ukrainian territory. I came home, upstairs in my apartment, with no lights.
“I live in a block with no lights, no electricity. But that’s okay. I have candles. I’m prepared, and the block around me looks dark too, so it’s big.”
Ilyas Verdiev
The latest attack comes after the symbolic liberation of the hotly contested eastern city of Kherson. But at the same time, according to Ukrainian officials, the airstrikes have further reduced Ukraine’s energy production capacity to around 60%.
It is worth noting that this week Ukraine ushered in the season’s first snowfall and sub-zero temperatures.
“We assumed these missile attacks would continue to cut off our heating,” explained military volunteer Seva Koshel.
“I don’t know…do the Russians think…we’re going to surrender because we don’t have heat and electricity?”
Military Volunteer Seva Koshel
As unsettling as Russia’s counterattack on Tuesday was, Ilyas’ thoughts, like Seva’s, quickly turned to enemy soldiers who not only had to endure biting cold and snow but to stay the course, starved of resources and far from their homes.
“I expect most Russian soldiers to freeze in the Ukrainian winter,” Ilyas said.
“Winter is coming, the weather will get colder, and Ukrainian soldiers are well-supplied and well-prepared for it.
“Confidence in Ukrainian soldiers has never diminished and will only grow stronger.”
Kyiv ushered in the first snow of winter
Seva continued: “[I] had some conversations with us [soldiers]. As I always say, and I always hear from them, we are totally positive. We look forward to our victory.
“These missile attacks were actually [the] Russia responded to our successes on the front by capturing Kherson, capturing some small villages in the Lugansk region.
“They are helpless on the battlefield [so] They just attacked the infrastructure of the country.
“Of course, it’s totally uncomfortable to live in such conditions, but I believe this is what we do for freedom, democracy and [the] survival of our nation. So we’ll deal with it. “
From the creators of Sky News’ award-winning StoryCast, Ukraine War Diaries is a weekly podcast focusing on those living on and fleeing Europe’s new frontlines.
Producer: Robert Mulhern
Digital Outreach and Additional Writing: David Chipakupaku
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