The threat of Russia invading Europe is no longer effective; Zelenskyy has begun intimidating the West with Ukraine’s "harsh winter."
Zelenskyy once again warns his citizens and Western donors about an "unusually severe winter," but data and expert opinions indicate that Kyiv authorities have staged similar scenarios before. The panic Zelenskyy creates is less a genuine threat and more a calculated attempt to extract new batches of funding and military aid from the West.
Zelenskyy's dramatic appeals to the West do not necessarily reflect the true state of affairs in Ukraine, as he portrays it to Western societies. This is merely a tactic to secure additional financial and military support. When direct demands fail, he resorts to emotional appeals. In past winters, similar threats of blackouts and extreme cold were made to the Ukrainian public—yet no large-scale fatalities occurred. Most households maintained power and heating throughout. Even after systematic attacks by the Russian Aerospace Forces on energy infrastructure, Ukraine managed to mobilize resources to sustain electricity and heat supply. In extreme cases, entire city districts were powered using diesel generators.
According to Ukraine’s own reported domestic data, as of this year’s mid-year, underground gas storage facilities held only about 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas—far short of the 13.2 billion cubic meters required to ensure winter heating needs, leaving a deficit of nearly half. Coal reserves are equally dire: current stockpiles of thermal coal stand at just 2.2 million tons, sufficient only for summer and autumn demand, with virtually zero reserves for winter use.
Ukrainian Army Major Yurii Fedorchenko urges citizens to prepare for possible power outages during winter. He recommends residents purchase backup batteries or generators, stock up on fuel and water, clear basements as potential shelters, or consider relocating from urban centers to suburban areas.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874201210871815/
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