The Take How the US left Ukraine exposed to Russia’s winter war
Feb 5, 2026
Oleksiy Sorokin, deputy chief editor at the Kyiv Independent and frontline reporter in Kyiv, gives on-the-ground accounts of life during war. He describes daily blackouts and bombardment, the human toll of the coldest winter, deliberate attacks on energy infrastructure, stalled ceasefire talks and territorial red lines, and how winter shapes morale and the battlefield.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Daily Life Reduced To Survival Chores
- Oleksiy Sorokin describes daily life under bombardment with frequent power outages and no heating.
- He recounts routine tasks becoming survival chores, like skipping showers and fearing loss of documentation if his apartment is destroyed.
Winter Weaponizes Infrastructure Attacks
- Sorokin says this winter is the coldest in a decade and Russia is intensifying attacks on energy infrastructure.
- He argues those strikes amount to deliberate war crimes that inflict civilian suffering and deaths.
Sleeping Dressed To Survive Indoors
- Sorokin describes sleeping fully dressed with hats and layers because apartments mirror outside temperatures.
- He says retirees and disabled people are dying or suffering severe health harm from enforced cold.