Dnipro, Wednesday 29th, early morning

Just up and got the fire going as everyone else will get up soon and although we had a good 2.5 hours of electricity last night, the underfloor heating needs much more to make any difference. That's a skill I have learned since moving to Ukraine, lighting fires. As an Australian, the only fires we use are ones with gas and a match. I didn't know there was a science to lighting fires.

The past two days have seen maximum temps of 2 / 3 degrees, and mins of - 3 or so. This has created havoc on the roads as it creates ice, and to help out we have had some rain too. As from tomorrow we start to see temps plunge which will get as low as - 26 degrees. That's cold.

I have been listening now for the past few days about a massive strike about to happen to turn off all electricity in Ukraine, quoting Ukrainian military intelligence (an oxy moron if ever there was one), the cokehead and western sources. I also read how the energy ministry is saying people are getting 70-80 percent power and I can tell you that is absolute bullshit.

I have homes in Kiev, Dnipro, Odessa, Crimea, Donetsk, Zakarpattia and Kherson and only two of those have more than 35 percent power, and they are the two that are now part of Russia. Whilst it's true parts of Kiev may have Moree than 20 percent power, and water, those are only the areas around the Rada and presidential offices. Ironically the area that should be targeted for a massive strike. Those areas are being fed power from massive generators, not grid power.

Some other areas are lucky enough to be on lines which are deemed essential service, and they also enjoy more power than the masses, but essential services need power.

I have lived in Ukraine for 11 years, and love the country, and it's people. I support them entirely in this conflict, but i detest the Kiev junta and the fascist galicians in the west. I have accepted the reasons for, and supported the Russian intervention in Feb 2022 and the reasons for the SMO. I drive evac several days a week to help out people needing evacuation, civilians and military forces, and do all I can to help those who live around us. However, further attacks which completely knock out Ukraine's energy in the middle of winter to major cities, before a minus 26 cold snap would in my opinion be a clear war crime, and beneath President Putin. The damage to our energy grid is already done. The economy is at a standstill with just 4-5 hours of electricity in a 24 hour cycle.

The hardship on people is compounded with water outages, interruptions to sewerage and shops being forced to close. What is left will fail organically, but if it is destroyed, people will die. Thousands upon thousands of elderly and infirm who live in cities. People in towns and villages who live in homes, no issue, we can all survive with wood burners and generators if needed, but people who live in cities and apartments can not. It is a war crime for the Kiev junta to continue to refuse to surrender, putting at risk it's citizens as they are doing for no gain, but I do not believe President Putin will bring about an act that would constitute a war crime like this, it would go against all he has stood for since he was first elected, and it would lose him a lot of support in Ukraine.

In an election between any of the current crop of criminal politicians in Ukraine, or any western leader, and President Putin, Putin would win in a landslide.

I hope I am right, again, we will be fine, we have everything we need, but if all power to the cities is removed, people will die. Innocent people who did not want this. Those displaced people from the east do not have homes to return to, so are stuck in apartments in cities. Many apartments in Kiev are 23 stories high. Without water, they would need cart water up those stairs. No one can use lifts at the moment even if power is on as they create a significant risk. Without heating those apartments are freezers, exposed to wind, and cold, very poorly insulated.

I don't believe in God, so rarely pray, but for the sake of millions in Ukraine, I would ask those that do to ensure I am right. Wait till winter is over, and do whatever he wants, in the meantime target the west, target the Verkhova Rada, target Bankova Street, erase Lvov from a map if you must, destroy the border crossings that are used to deliver weapons to Ukraine, knock out the Dnipro bridges, but don't kill civilians by knocking out life saving energy completely. This is something that nato would do, that Zelenksy would do, this is not something that i believe President Putin would do. Again, I hope i am right.

Now would be the best time for Putin to offer an energy infrastructure ceasefire, including ceasing seizure of tankers etc from international waters, in itself an act of war, as we all know the Kiev junta will break it, and then the blame is squarely on Zelenksy's shoulders where it belongs.