from breakfastmtn@piefed.ca to world@lemmy.world on 10 Feb 04:09
https://piefed.ca/c/world/p/513778/the-hidden-health-impact-of-russia-s-attacks-on-ukraine-s-energy-grid
As Russian strikes continue to cut off heating and electricity across Ukraine, a Kyiv doctor says she is seeing health effects accumulate in her clinic.
Since late December, Russia has carried out multiple waves of strikes targeting Ukraine’s power generation and heating infrastructure. In Kyiv, those attacks have repeatedly disrupted heating across large parts of the city.
On Jan. 9, a major attack left roughly 6,000 residential buildings without heat. Further strikes on Jan. 20 and Jan. 24 again cut heating to thousands of homes. The most recent attack on Feb. 3 left over 1,100 apartment buildings without heating, with temperatures reaching -25°C outside. Two thermal power plants have stopped operating, according to Ukrenergo CEO Vitaliy Zaichenko.
Prolonged exposure to cold doesn’t cause illness directly, according to Hanna Serova, a general practitioner at Kyiv’s Dobrobut medical network. Instead, it weakens the body’s defenses over time.
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When the body is exposed to cold for extended periods, it diverts energy to maintaining core temperature, leaving less capacity to fight off infections. Disrupted sleep — common when people are cold or worried about outages — further compromises immune function, as the body produces fewer infection-fighting cells during poor rest. Sustained stress from living in these conditions adds another layer of strain.
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