Fiona4Ukraine

I write this as I return on the Przemyśl to Kharkiv train, after a 3-week break in England and Iceland (where the title photo was taken). I was away for the 4 year commemoration of Russia's brutal, illegal invasion of Ukraine. It was almost 4 years ago that I began a journey that has really transformed me, from Krakow to Lviv to Odesa to Kharkiv (nearly 2 years ago). This could be a very bleak post. The bombardment of Ukraine continues, against energy and transport infrastructure, and civilian homes. More than a million Ukrainians have been without electricity, heating and water during the coldest winter in years, with temperatures dropping to -20C and below outside, and to 5 or 6°C inside apartments. This cynical bombing campaign is sometimes described as the kholodomor (death by cold). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/24/four-years-ukraine-invasion-russia-gains-small-ukraine-remains-resilient?CMP=share_btn_url A person walks down a street in central Khar...

A few nights ago Kharkiv was bombed for more than three hours. According to the city's Mayor, strikes targeted energy infrastructure, seemingly with the cynical goal of inflicting maximum destruction and difficulty on the coldest night of the year, I believe, with a low of -24° C. In order to prevent freezing of the network, city authorities had to drain the coolant in the heat supply system of 820 houses, serviced by one of the largest power stations. There was disruption of electric transport (underground trains, trams, etc, which has continued) so additional bus routes were launched. "Kharkiv will survive," Ігор Терехов (Ihor Terehov), Mayor, wrote in his Telegram channel, 03.02.2026. That night was nearly a repeat of the previous week, when 25 Shahed drones attacked the city over a period of 2.5 hours. 46 people were injured, including two children; one woman died. Apart from the short-lived 'truce' over last weekend, when attacks on energy infrastructure paus...