Russian Missile Strikes Cause Life-threatening Conditions in Ukraine

Millions of Ukrainians are without electricity, heat and running water after Russia unleashed its most destructive missile barrage yet on November 23. As snow falls and temperatures drop below zero across Ukraine, the lack of power can be life-threatening.

• Since October, Russia has bombarded Ukraine’s energy network.
• Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said about half of his country’s energy infrastructure was “out of order.”
• Repairing the Soviet-era power systems is a slow and difficult process.

November 23: Last Wednesday brought the most severe attacks yet.

• In Kyiv alone, four people died and 30 were injured.
• One missile hit a maternity ward, killing at least one infant. “There are probably still people under the rubble,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
• Ukraine’s three nuclear power stations were all forced to shut down.

November 24: Russian shelling in Kherson killed seven people and wounded 21 more, according to local authorities.

• In a statement that day, the United Nations human rights chief said at least 77 Ukrainian civilians have been killed by the missiles strikes.

Millions are being plunged into extreme hardship and appalling conditions of life by these strikes.
—Volker Turk, UN human rights chief

• nasa satellite images showed Ukraine at night as a black blot amid a well-lit continent.

November 25: Thirty percent of Ukraine’s power system was still out.

• The nuclear power stations were repaired and began operating again.
• However, millions of Ukrainians were still lacking heat and power.

Nigel Povoas, a war crimes investigator, said the strikes were aimed at crucial civilian infrastructure “such as heat, water, power and medical facilities.”

[T]hese attacks have very little, if anything, to do with military objectives. Rather, that they reflect a criminal intent to inflict widespread terror, large-scale humanitarian suffering and death, particularly on the vulnerable, so as to coerce the Ukrainian people into submission.

Russia is making Ukraine unlivable. Ukrainians who choose to stay risk life-threatening conditions. Their other option? Flee.

Dr. Hans Kluge, director of the World Health Organization, expects 2 to 3 million Ukrainians will leave their homes “in search of warmth and safety.”

“This is all about the weaponization of refugees,” said retired United States Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army Europe. “By making Ukraine uninhabitable in the winter time, they are potentially sending millions more Ukrainians to Europe. That would put pressure on European governments.”

Creating a crisis: As of November 22, the UN Refugee Agency recorded more than 7.8 million refugees from Ukraine across Europe. They labeled it the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War ii.

The Trumpet watches what Putin is doing in Ukraine. But Europe’s response is just as important.

Expect political and social crises in Germany and Europe, and public resentment and anger, to grow even deeper. Then watch for a strongman to take advantage and make his way to power through flatteries!
—Gerald Flurry, Trumpet editor in chief

The Ukrainian refugee crisis is adding to the Continent’s many problems. Read our article on this trend, “Europe’s Ongoing Unification Project,” to understand the implications of this crisis.