As 2025 draws to a close, Ukraine edges toward a grim milestone: nearly four years of unrelenting conflict. In Kyiv, the morning commute feels oddly familiar — coffee in one hand, phone in the other, scrolling through air-raid alerts. ☕️📱
For many Ukrainians, life has become a high-stakes routine: stay alert, adapt plans on the fly, and keep moving. Peace talks dominate global headlines, but on the ground, it’s not about press conferences or summit photos. It’s about whether your lights stay on tonight.
“We’re ready to discuss even the toughest proposals because we need peace,” says Ivan Us, a senior consultant. “But it has to be fair. We won’t surrender our future.”
In frontline towns like Pokrovsk, evacuations have stalled as security risks soar. NGO supervisor Evgenya Pinchuk warns, “The situation is critical. Teams can’t get in, and people can’t leave.”
Closer to the action, drone strikes are almost daily. “You go to bed wondering if your window will be hit,” a Pokrovsk resident shares. “From dawn to dusk, it’s intense. Shelling, drones… it never stops.” 💥
‘Everything suffers’
Families pack what they can and seek marginally safer spots, often still inside Ukraine. Sirens carve through the air, and damaged buildings stand as grim reminders that nowhere is truly safe.
Then there are the power cuts. Strikes on energy networks have turned electricity and heating into fragile luxuries — especially with winter tightening its grip.
“Energy is targeted because it affects everyday life immediately,” explains energy analyst Hennadi Ryabtsev. “When power and heat flicker, everything suffers — services, confidence, people’s sense of security.” ❄️🔌
In Zaporizhzhia, every explosion triggers the same question: “Will the lights go out tonight?” local resident Olena Musher asks. “Will the heater stop? Nights are restless. You’re always ready.”
As negotiators haggle far from the frontlines, Ukrainians measure progress differently: not by glossy statements, but by whether the lights stay on, the heat keeps running, and the night passes quietly. For them, survival is about small victories — a warm room, a silent night, a cup of coffee with no sirens. ☕️🤞
Reference(s):
Ukraine conflict fatigue grows as talks drag on and survival continues
cgtn.com
