Voice of Ukraine

From: Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (832nd day)

Summer blackouts.

Do you ever get a feeling that 24 hours is not enough in a day – that feeling that you have so much to do that you wish there had more hours to accomplish it. How about if, instead of 24 hours, you get only 6?

Can you think how many hours out of 24 in the day you need electricity – to have your computer/phone powered and connected to wi-fi, to get your coffee grinder work, to have running water to cook, wash, take a shower, etc., to have your electric stove functioning, to have a/c working, to have light when it gets dark in the evening so you could read?

I often wish for days that would be longer than 24 hours, but today, we had less than 6 hours of electricity. Because of extensive damage to our energy infrastructure by ruzzian missile strikes there is a shortage of power. We could still accomplish some things, but the day was far from the plan.

In the summer, it’s at least warm, and we do not freeze in our homes. But having electricity in doses of 2 hours at a time with 6 hours in-between with no power, gives us a preview of what’s to come and makes us start seriously thinking about preparing for the winter blackouts. The main challenge will to keep homes and churches warm.