Ukraine’s harsh winter will be life-threatening for millions of people as rolling blackouts and poor health infrastructure exacerbate the war’s humanitarian crisis, the World Health Organization said on Monday.
The organization’s Europe director, Hans Kluge, issued the chilling warning from Kyiv, where he said Ukraine’s health system “is facing its darkest days in the war so far.”
“The devastating energy crisis, the deepening mental health emergency, constraints on humanitarian access and the risk of viral infections will make this winter a formidable test for the Ukrainian health system and the Ukrainian people,” Kluge said.
Temperatures in Ukraine often drop below freezing in the winter — and for weeks, Russia has targeted the country’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
4. From our correspondents
The relatives, who are risking retaliation from Russian authorities for their outspokenness about a war the Kremlin continues to call a “special military operation,” have said in videos posted online and in media interviews that recently mobilized soldiers have been deployed into battle with little training, poor equipment and often no clear orders. High casualties, military setbacks and reports of poor conditions for Russian soldiers could be contributing to waning support for the war in Russia.
