CHUWIV Downed power lines hang on the edge of a small Ukrainian village. There is also a transformer nearby, which was also damaged by Russian fire.
For this reason, the residents have not had electricity for months on the outskirts of the city of Chuhuivi.
– For seven months, the Russians fired at us. Now they are gone, but the electricity is not working. We got the gas just a little while ago, he complains Lena.
He lives in a two-story house with several apartments. Last winter the house was cold when the heating didn’t work.
A short distance away, a group of power plant workers and deminers examine a large vehicle.
It has been acquired with collection funds from Great Britain.
A large roller is mounted in front of the vehicle to safely destroy the mines.
Thanks to the machine, demining speeds up many times over.
The electricians on site talk about the dangers of the job.
– One colleague died in Balaklia. My predecessor in this position drove into a mine in Hrakovo and died in the explosion, Vitaly says seriously.
Vitali says that he had to take over the duties of his dead colleague the next day.
– There is nothing else to do but continue this work.
The demining machine speeds up the work
Russian artillery bombarded the regions of Kharkiv and Donbas with huge amounts of ammunition for months.
The need for demining is so great that ordinary fields are not even considered. First, the areas needed to repair critical infrastructure are cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance.
Such are, for example, these power lines crossing the field.
Three men are lifted by a crane into the tower of the power line. It has taken a direct hit and many parts need to be replaced. When the men come down, they show the part of the grenade that was in the tower.
They praise the anti-mine device that plows the field slowly but surely.
As soon as the machine has cleared the path, the electricians get to work.
– Mines and lack of spare parts are the biggest problems. For example, a lot of cable is needed, says Vitali.
He also shows the transformer on the edge of the village. There is a gaping hole in the wall of the small building. A grenade has also hit the transformer.
– There is a lot to repair like this and special spare parts are needed for that.
Life is hard without electricity
In general, local electricity and water utilities in Ukraine operate very efficiently.
When Russia has carried out attacks, the repairmen are already there the next morning.
Since the end of February, a huge number of power lines and water pipes have been repaired in the war zones of Ukraine. Mines and explosives still prevent repair work in many places.
Russia did not occupy this small village or the neighboring town of Chuhuiv. Instead, the Russians shelled the area heavily.
Lena tells what life was like during these difficult months. Russia started shelling the area at the very beginning of the attack last February and continued it until the beginning of autumn. Then the Russian troops were pushed away.
– We cooked food outside and were afraid of the shells that flew over us.
– Without electricity, my daughter has not been able to charge her phone and study. Fortunately, the neighbor has a generator. We sometimes charge phones there.
Lena’s wishes are for the electricity to be restored quickly. After that, the children of the village can again fully participate in distance education at schools.
You can discuss the topic on Sat 3.12. until 11 p.m.