Videos of Ukrainians celebrating as their power supply finally returns have lit up social media.
Although the winter conditions have slowed down the conflict on the frontline,Russia has pivoted to sending missile strikes to Ukraine’s essential services.
The entire energy system was on the brink of collapse while temperatures fell below zero this week, with access to running water and heating also on the brink.
By Wednesday, nearly 80% of the country was in the dark, including more than half of the capital Kyiv.
However, Ukraine has managed to turn it around very quickly. Although the attacks disconnected three Ukrainian nuclear plants from the national grid, they were functioning again by Thursday.
Power started to return to some parts of the country.
And the delight of the Ukrainians was palpable in the emotional videos being shared on social media with emotional chants of “Glory to Ukraine” echoing around cities as the lights start to return.
Electricity supply is restored on the left bank of #Kyiv. People chanting "Slava Ukraini!" These people…??? #StandWithUkrainepic.twitter.com/CTjh1hoQMd
— Mariia Kramarenko (@KramarenkoMari3) November 24, 2022
To demonstrate just how significant these current blackouts have been, Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko shared this image shortly before power was restored, showing Ukraine from space.
It is a lone dark spot across the whole of Europe.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the lights went on everywhere – and there is the ongoing threat of more blackouts to come too.
The secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said the damage from Russia meant the civilian population was at “breaking point” without these fundamental supplies.
The World Health Organisation also said this could be “life-threatening” and that millions more Ukrainians could have to leave their homes.
Although Moscow denies being behind the attacks (at least on Kyiv), the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Russia president Vladimir Putin was “clearly weaponising winter to inflict immense suffering on the Ukrainian people”.
These brutal strikes from Russia came after a series of defeats for the Kremlin, as Ukraine reclaimed much of its land to the south and east through its successful counteroffensive.
But, even among the homes where blackouts persist, other clips show that the Ukrainian spirit perseveres.
