150,000 People Trapped in City with No Power, Heat, or Safe Drinking Water Amid Intense Fighting
As the humanitarian crisis deepens in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, local officials have been forced to implement severe water rationing, with the population of 150,000 struggling to survive without essential resources. Russia’s blockade of the city has left it isolated from Kyiv after the bombing of a key bridge across the Desna River, cutting off crucial aid and escape routes for civilians.
In the midst of ongoing heavy bombardment, the city has been without power for days, and looting has become widespread, further exacerbating the situation. The local government has warned residents that the available drinking water is running out, with only 10 liters per person being distributed as of Thursday.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Lyudmila Denisova, accused Russian forces of using the city’s residents as hostages to pressure Ukraine into meeting Russian demands in peace talks. “The occupiers have cut off Chernihiv from the capital, leaving it without electricity, water, or heat. They are also compiling lists of civilians for evacuation to Russia,” Denisova claimed.
In addition to the dire water shortage, the mayor of Chernihiv, Vladyslav Atroshenko, reported that Russia’s targeting of hospitals and civilian infrastructure has resulted in an alarming increase in casualties. There are now 40 funerals a day in the city, a stark contrast to the usual eight in peacetime. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the wounded, and basic services have collapsed under the strain of the conflict.
Despite the hardships, some residents have remained, as many of those who fled have sought refuge in places like the Polish city of Przemysl. Refugees from Chernihiv described scenes of devastation, with schools destroyed and civilians enduring daily airstrikes. Local reports indicate that the situation in Chernihiv mirrors that of other besieged Ukrainian cities like Mariupol, where survival is becoming increasingly impossible.
