Ukrainians, Russians long for peace as winter deepens conflict fatigue

Kyiv/Moscow, Nov 29 (IANS) The first snowfall blanketed much of Ukraine this week as citizens troubled by a growing sense of anxiety over a harsh winter amid ongoing hostilities and widespread power outages.

Having long suffered the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, more and more people on both sides yearn for peace.

Recent Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid, combined with plummeting temperatures, have compelled the state-run energy company Ukrenergo to enforce stricter power restrictions in Kyiv and 16 other regions.

In Odesa, a Black Sea port city in Ukraine, some households endured 24-hour blackouts following a major attack on November 17. For Tamara, a 35-year-old housewife living in a private home on the city's outskirts, electricity is nothing short of essential.

"In our house, everything runs on electricity. Without it, there is no light, no heating, no water. We can't even cook," Tamara said.

Although she owns a portable power station and a generator, they offer only partial relief. The power station cannot handle the boiler, while the generator is too cumbersome for her to operate alone.

Meanwhile, Olha Ivanivna, a 55-year-old entrepreneur running a small online shop in Kyiv, also grapples with constant power outages.

"The electricity situation is catastrophic," she said. "They usually cut the power three times a day for three to four hours at a time."

Working under these conditions has been extremely challenging for her.

She relies on battery-powered garlands with round bulbs as her primary source of light during blackouts.

Experts warn that Ukraine is facing its harshest winter since the full-scale conflict with Russia began more than 1,000 days ago.

According to UN data, 65 per cent of Ukraine's energy production capacity has been destroyed by the attacks. It could lead to daily blackouts lasting four to 18 hours.

"I don't know how we will go through this with sub-zero temperatures," said Olena, a 44-year-old property manager from the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

On November 21, Dnipro was reportedly targeted by an intercontinental ballistic missile, heightening fears of an escalating conflict.

People in Russia are also bracing for a harsh winter, grappling with soaring prices of daily necessities, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to local media outlet PUAMO, the prices of major food items have seen significant increases since the beginning of the year. The cost of potatoes, sugar, and eggs has risen by 79 per cent, 56 per cent, and 18 per cent, respectively. The trend is expected to persist through the remainder of the year.

"Less than three months ago, a 180-gram packet of butter from the same manufacturer cost 112 rubles (1.04 US dollars), and now the price has risen to 145 rubles (1.34 dollars). However, I did not see such an increase in my salary. I hope we could return to our normal life as soon as possible," said Elena, who works for a small media company in Moscow.

Analysts attribute the growing inflation primarily to Western-imposed sanctions, the devaluation of the ruble, and increased defence spending.

Some recent public surveys in Russia show a record number of people supporting peace talks since the conflict started in February 2022.

According to Russian Field, a local polling agency, a recent telephone survey revealed that 79 per cent of respondents favor ending the conflict and reaching a peace deal, with 60 per cent supporting an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

"We've been bearing a heavier burden every day as everything gets more expensive. Because of the sanctions, my husband lost his job at an export company. But life must go on, and we still have to feed our two children," said Natalya, a housewife shopping at a supermarket in Moscow.

"Conflict brings no benefits to ordinary people. Peace is what we truly dream of now," she added.

Valeriia, a mother of four from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the northeast, is deeply worried about how power outages affect her family. She moved with her children from their apartment in Saltivka, a large residential area in Kharkiv, to her mother's home in Industrialnyi, where outages are less frequent.

Electricity is essential for her children's education, she said. Many schools in Kharkiv have shifted to online learning due to frequent shellings.

Once an eyelash extension specialist, Valeriia left her job to help her children with their studies. After fleeing abroad as a refugee in early 2022, she returned to Ukraine in September 2023.

Beyond power issues, Valeriia struggles with the constant fear of conflict. "Every explosion makes my heart race. I dream of peace, my children returning to school, and opening my own beauty salon," she said.

Her sentiments echo those of many Ukrainians, including Olha Ivanivna, an entrepreneur whose clothing business has suffered greatly.

"Clothes aren't a necessity, so sales have plummeted. People are focused on buying food and saving money," Ivanivna said.

Like Valeriia, she dreams of an end to the war. "We all want life to be calm and predictable again, so we can plan for tomorrow," she said.

--IANS

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