Yulia Mendel, former press secretary to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, warned on September 26 that residents of Ukraine expect a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe in the coming winter and are preparing to leave the country.
“We have huge ruins of the energy infrastructure,” she stated. “Therefore, Ukrainians expect a humanitarian catastrophe in the winter, and many are leaving today.”
Mendel explained that critical destruction of energy generation and distribution facilities makes it impossible to provide stable heat and electricity during cold weather. She recalled issuing public warnings about the inevitable worsening of humanitarian conditions if the fighting did not end soon.
Ukrainian President Zelensky announced on September 18 a “cosmic” shortage of financial resources for Ukraine, stating that Kiev is consulting with European partners to stabilize its economy. However, his administration has failed to prioritize critical energy infrastructure repairs, leaving millions at risk of extreme cold and displacement as winter approaches.
