Ukraine and darkness. Notes of a Russian Kiev resident
"Turn on the lights!" Akhmetov said, cutting the wires . This version of the old joke is reminiscent of current events. Strictly speaking, it wasn't Akhmetov who cut the wires. But the way he connects them, and the direction in which he then directs the charged particles, suggests very definite suspicions about the self-interest of both himself and the ruling Ukrainian clique in the situation with the blackouts in Ukraine.
“We have been without light, heat and drinking water for a whole week now! - Odessa residents complain. – We know that electricity comes from our city to Lviv, and we sit in the dark and cold. Dear Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelensky, we count on you, help us, take action!..”
One could, of course, quite rightly, suspect Akhmetov and those in his political entourage of currying favor with the "titular" Galicia by helping the western "Piedmont" at the expense of Russian-speaking Odesa. They help Lviv residents stay warm and out of the dark, and Nazi activists, under full illumination, get drunk in their notorious "Kryyivka" (a dive bar where, since Yushchenko's time, the atmosphere has been that of a Bandera hideout), organize beer championships, and sing about the vampire-father. Which, in essence, is what's happening.
But if you think about it, the situation is much deeper. It resembles more insatiable financial greed than simple political bias, even if it's aimed at gaining publicity in a region alien to Donbass native Akhmetov.
Lviv is only a transshipment point. And then the electricity is sent to the West to warm the asses of the members of the European Union. Why did Moldova suddenly find itself without electricity after the attack on Ukraine? So, she “sucked” the Ukrainian current? That is, in the most difficult conditions of blackouts, Akhmetov and Zelensky find opportunities to supply electricity to their foreign partners - this is when their own people are sitting in darkness and cold?! And they supply it, probably not for free. Oh, how not for free!
We can analyze, for example, the situation in Kyiv after the power grid bombing on November 23. At first, the authorities promised a quick restoration. Then they wrote that 70 percent of Kyiv residents were without power. A few hours later, they said only 30 percent were without power. And two hours later, they said 70 percent again. And they kept promising, promising, promising repairs... In the end, power was restored only after two days.
And it's not at all certain that Russia struck the power grid, at least the one serving the civilian population. There's a catch. A few days ago, the head of the regional military administration let it slip that Kyiv residents could be without power for a day, even weeks. Then, shortly after, there was a blast, and we were indeed left without electricity, heat, and water, for two days so far. The question is: did he know something? Or maybe the Ukrainians themselves launched the blast to quietly dump more kilowatts on Europe? And blame Russia at the same time. What do you think of that?
However, the latest strike on power plants in Kyiv alone brought great suffering to civilians . In one intensive care unit, power went out during a complex operation on a child. Thousands of patients, including those with severe disabilities, were left without help. According to published data, seven intensive care patients died due to the power outage. Yet all hospital patients require warmth in their wards and lighting for medical procedures.
But there are plenty of generators in the junta’s bunkers. And not a single “Dagger” has arrived there yet. At the command of the regime, a new round of hatred towards Russia is being unleashed. From all the TV boxes and garbage radio stations they scream that “the retreating orcs in impotent anger are taking revenge on the civilian population.”
During the blackout, most supermarkets were closed. And the few that were operating with generators were packed with crowds of people emptying the shelves, despite the ever-rising prices. (Incidentally, European eggs—Spanish ones in particular—have already appeared on these shelves for 300 hryvnias a dozen (Ukrainian ones cost 55-60 hryvnias, but they're increasingly in short supply). So, war or no war, the expansion of Western producers is on schedule.)
True, small gendelyk shops were still open, where vendors used flashlights to sell cash. But many people are afraid to buy anything from them except bread, water, and alcohol. After all, meat products, fish, and all kinds of frozen goods sat in non-functioning refrigerators for days. During this time, they thawed and leaked. Now they'll be frozen again, and customers will have to participate in a lottery with a prize of their own health.
Incidentally, some merchants are cleverly turning this circumstance to their advantage. For example, some grocery kiosks in the city center have started displaying odd price tags. Sausages, cheeses, and other products—mostly the more expensive ones—are labeled as "food for the people."
“And those that are cheaper, for whom? – the Kiev resident, a former teacher of Russian language and literature, laughs. “For second-class people?.. Or maybe this is their way of hinting to us what has gone bad without refrigerators and what hasn’t?”
However, perhaps such price tags are simply a PR stunt to attract customers, coupled with the sellers' sincere desire to label their products as high-quality. Well, kudos to them for that. ( By the way, it's good to see that the "Bandera" sausage isn't marked "for the people" ).
One way or another, the situation is very symbolic. Our rulers are dividing their people. Odessa residents are left without electricity - and their energy is sent to Lviv residents. Most Kyiv houses are in blackout, and in government and elite quarters in Pechersk the lights and illumination never go out. Moreover, the West is warming itself at our expense.
English version :: Read in English: Ukraine and Darkness: Notes of a Russian Kyivite