Olga Kobzar, who lives in the second-largest city in Ukraine in an abandoned tower block devastated by Russian shelling, wants to endure the winter as long as she can without access to power, running water, or central heating by igniting the gas burner in her kitchen.
The 70-year-old is in the midst of what Ukrainian experts predict will be the worst winter in decades. He lives alone in a devastated area of northern Kharkiv where it may be as cold as -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit).
About 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Russian border, in the Saltivka neighbourhood, she is the final resident of her tower block.
Her apartment is still standing despite being without basic services while her neighbor’s was attacked and others were completely destroyed.
She points to the antique book shelves and the picture of her late husband, whom she considers to be her guardian, and declares, “It would be a shame to leave this home.
The electricity network and residential areas in many portions of Ukraine have suffered significant damage as a result of the seven-month war, and officials are concerned that Moscow may target crucial infrastructure when the frost arrives.
The centralised home-heating season may be disrupted for a variety of reasons, and officials are advising residents to store up on anything from firewood to electric generators. These interruptions are difficult to anticipate for since there are so many potential problems.
“Not everything depends on us; a lot also depends on the missiles’ landing zones and the targets they hit. Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, stated that the aggressors “intend to sentence us to a harsh and gloomy winter.”
