On January 22, 2026, Alina Rohach, Project Manager of the Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program at the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, shared her insights with Escenario Mundial (an Argentina-based international affairs and geopolitics media outlet) on how Ukrainian society is enduring the fourth winter of Russia’s full-scale war amid continued attacks on energy infrastructure.
Rohach explained how systematic strikes on electricity and heating systems reshape everyday life in Kyiv and other cities, forcing people and businesses to adapt to blackouts and unpredictable supply windows. She pointed to the 9 January attack as a stark example of how these strikes translate into immediate humanitarian pressure: parts of the capital faced outages affecting electricity, heating, and water supply during a severe cold snap, with temperatures dropping to around –15°C, and some residential buildings left without heat for up to 72 hours.
Beyond the technical damage, Rohach emphasized the broader purpose of the campaign: eroding social stability by attacking the predictability of daily life. She also highlighted the historical dimension of these attacks, noting that the deliberate use of winter hardship as a tool of pressure resonates deeply in Ukraine’s collective memory — echoing comparisons many Ukrainians draw with the Holodomor of 1932–1933, when civilian suffering was used as an instrument of domination — shaping how society interprets today’s energy strikes. Against this background, she stressed that public resilience is based not on expectations of a quick end to the war, but on a sober understanding of its likely duration and a continued commitment to sovereignty and accountability, even amid fatigue and uncertainty.
By engaging with international media, TDC’s Spain and Latin America Cooperation Program helps bring Ukraine-based expertise to Latin American audiences and strengthens international awareness of Russia’s war and its impact on civilians.
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