"Valentyna Ivanivna showed off her new head torch. It was a present from her grandson, she said. Most evenings she wears it while doing household chores: cooking dinner, washing up and stacking plates. It's impossible to plan anything without power. You can't even invite people round for a cup of tea because the kettle won't work. It's stressful and exhausting for everyone, she explained."
"Ivanivna lives in Chernihiv, an ancient Ukrainian city known for its early medieval cathedrals. The border with Belarus and Russia is a short drive away, across a landscape of pine forests, villages with geese and the occasional wandering moose. In 2022, Russian troops invaded and occupied most of the oblast. They bombed and laid siege to Chernihiv, pulling out after six weeks and rolling north."
"Over the autumn, Russia's war dramatically returned in the shape of thousands of killer drones. The Kremlin has launched a determined attempt to plunge the whole of Ukraine into darkness, stepping up an existing campaign of mass destruction. It has targeted thermal power plants, substations and rescue workers as they battle to save the electricity network from one aerial attack after another."
Valentyna Ivanivna relies on a head torch to do cooking, washing and stacking plates during prolonged power cuts. Kettles, lighting and basic domestic tasks are often impossible, making everyday life stressful and exhausting. Chernihiv sits near the Belarus and Russian borders and was invaded and besieged in 2022. Over the autumn, attacks escalated using thousands of drones aimed at thermal power plants, substations and rescue workers. The campaign seeks to damage the electricity network and plunge Ukraine into darkness through repeated aerial strikes. Blackouts are widespread, affecting Kyiv and border regions, with businesses using generators. Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv are worst affected, facing many hours without power.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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