Russia carried out an air strike on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, using about 500 drones and 40 missiles (Reuters)

Russia's attacks on Ukraine have never stopped, but in recent weeks, the majority of missile, drone, and bomb strikes have focused on border states, especially targeting energy facilities and railway lines.

Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions have experienced (and will continue to experience) complete or prolonged power and water outages, as well as frequent delays in the arrival and departure of passenger and freight trains.

Drones have even begun to ambush vehicles traveling on roads connecting major cities in these regions, recently causing dozens of casualties.

The Ukrainian Energy Ministry warned that due to the power outage at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant since September 23, its operation faces significant risks.

President Vladimir Zelenskyy said the situation there is critical, emphasizing that the power cut was caused by Russian shelling and that Russians are blocking the repair of power lines leading to the nuclear plant.

Olga Kosharna: The risk facing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the tenth occurrence (Al Jazeera)

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

To illustrate the danger of this scenario, Al Jazeera interviewed Olga Kosharna, a nuclear safety expert from the Ukrainian Energy Ministry. She stated that the power plant relies on the Ukrainian grid to cool its six nuclear reactors. The Russian management has turned to diesel generators, but these cannot meet all needs and can only last for no more than 10 days.

She added, "Since Moscow took control of the plant, this type of risk has occurred for the tenth time, but today's situation is more severe because the Russians are not allowing emergency teams to repair the power grid to Zaporizhzhia. Therefore, the issue must be resolved as soon as possible, or the plant must be completely shut down."

At first glance, the attacks on Ukraine's energy sector seem to be a tactic repeated multiple times by Russia during the first three years of the war, but officials and experts believe it is a new tactic being used by Moscow.

Zelenskyy said that Russia is trying to 'destroy Ukraine' by targeting the energy sector and creating risks around it, referring to the increasing role and demand of the sector as summer heat or winter cold intensifies.

Retired Colonel and military expert Oleg Zhidnov told Al Jazeera, "It is clear that Russia is destroying all infrastructure within 20 to 50 kilometers inside Ukraine's borders, aiming to make these areas uninhabitable."

He added, "They target energy stations, power grids, communications, transportation, and roads. We are also retaliating, but our capabilities are limited compared to theirs, and our objectives differ. We aim to weaken their front-line forces, while they want to forcibly displace the population and create buffer zones, which will bring new burdens to Ukraine, and possibly to some European countries."

"Unbearable Situation"

Faced with the danger of bombing and the interruption or threat to basic living elements, authorities have had to voluntarily or forcibly evacuate thousands of people. Many residents found shelter either internally displaced or seeking asylum, but this is happening quietly.

For example, traffic congestion in the capital Kyiv has significantly increased, with many vehicle license plates showing origins from other cities and regions.

The Kyiv City Administration announced that the number of internally displaced persons in the city has reached nearly 424,000, compared to about 300,000 at the end of 2023.

Denis came to the capital with his family, including three children, from the outskirts of Chernihiv. He told Al Jazeera about his story, saying, "Even when Russia invaded the region in the early stages of the war, we chose to stay, but now things have changed. Due to the reduction in population, declining purchasing power, and rising costs of transporting goods, my shops have all closed. Most schools have switched to remote learning, and we are experiencing power, water, and heating crises. Life there has become an unbearable hell."

Displacement Crisis

According to data from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of internally displaced persons in Ukraine at the beginning of this year was approximately 3.7 million, while the number of Ukrainian refugees abroad has exceeded 6.9 million.

According to a report from the Ministry of Social Policy, the highest number of citizens from the Kharkiv region registered as displaced persons, reaching 724,000, followed by Kherson with 439,000, Zaporizhzhia with 400,000, and Sumy with 144,000.

However, local organizations emphasize that these numbers are limited to those officially registered as displaced persons or refugees and do not include millions of others who have started new lives without formal registration.

Victoria Fenchuk, an activist from the "Wings of Help" association, told Al Jazeera, "The displacement crisis is indeed worsening quietly. Although some people who left early in the war have returned, I believe the actual number of internally displaced persons is no less than 6 million, with refugee numbers stable around 8 million. The total accounts for about a third of the pre-war population."

Sources: Al Jazeera

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557138194128503342/

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