

Kyiv enters a hopeful spring after surviving the war’s darkest winter
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.KYIV—It was the middle of January when the cold and lack of electricity forced Olha Kosova and her baby to flee their Kyiv apartment to her parents’ place in the suburbs.Now, spring is here, the electricity is working and Kosova and 1-year-old Lisa are back home in their sun-drenched apartment.“I don’t even remember this winter,” Kosova said. “It fades from the memory so quickly as if it never happened.”Kyiv and its residents are bouncing back from the darkest winter of the war. Russia struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure more than 1,400 times with missiles and drones dating to last July, according to an official Ukrainian tally.
The attacks plunged cities into darkness and cut heat, leaving Kyiv residents such as Kosova and others in her apartment block on Tychyna Avenue freezing and miserable.Residents survived by wrapping up indoors, turning their balconies into refrigerators and, when possible, staying with relatives.The arrival of warmer spring weather has brought a dash of optimism back to Kyiv. Repairs have brought electricity back, and shops have stored away their diesel-powered generators. Bar terraces are buzzing with activity into late evenings again as people try to soak in every bit of sun after the long winter.
Kyiv residents are flocking to parks and riverside beaches for picnics even before the summer heat has time to set in.Camping gear used for cooking is packed up, with electric stoves back in action. Menus also are changing accordingly, as households plan ahead with reliable electricity powering their fridges. Lisa now toddles around in a summer dress.
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