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A tower of the National Bank of Ukraine is seen during a blackout in Kyiv

Kyiv prepares for harsh winter as Ukrainian soldiers reach recaptured border

‘If we’d had the weapons we do now in March, I’d already be on the Red Square’ in Moscow, a commander said.

THE MAYOR OF Kyiv is warning residents to prepare for the worst this winter if Russia keeps striking the country’s energy infrastructure.

It means having no electricity, water or heat in the freezing cold cannot be ruled out in the Ukrainian capital.

“We are doing everything to avoid this,” mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

“But let’s be frank, our enemies are doing everything for the city to be without heat, without electricity, without water supply, in general, so we all die. And the future of the country and the future of each of us depends on how prepared we are for different situations.”

Around 4.5 million people are without electricity, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation last night.

Meanwhile Ukraine’s Russian-occupied city of Kherson was cut off from water and electricity supplies yesterday after an air strike and a key dam in the region was also damaged, local officials said.

It is the first time that Kherson – which fell to Moscow’s forces within days of their February offensive – has seen such a power cut.

Energy specialists were working to “quickly” resolve the issue, the Russian-backed authorities said, as they called on people to “remain calm.”

Ukrainian troops in the east of the country are currently close to the pre-invasion border. near the Donets river and the Russian city of Belgorod.

“That green hill over there is Russia,” says commander Roman Gryshchenko.

In September, he helped push Moscow’s forces back across the border near Kharkiv.

The retreat marked one of the high points of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the northeast.

Now, Kyiv’s troops in the village of Starytsya stand so close to Russia that some phones mistakenly get texts to say they’ve arrived in the country.

Gryshchenko insists the area is now “absolutely secure” – but his troops are keeping watch.

They still face drone attacks, occasional artillery strikes and the threat of raids from Russian commandos, he says.

The 5,000-strong 127th brigade he leads was formed from a volunteer force, and its mission is to defend positions in this recaptured border zone.

The last official Ukrainian outpost is buried in a trench off a muddy road leading straight to Russia. Beyond it, special forces soldiers and border guards operate unseen.

A lone sentry keeps his finger on the trigger, alert to suspicious noises in the forest.

Below ground, a sheltered room with internet connection acts as a digital surveillance station.

Soldier Sheleh, 32, taps a computer mouse, its red light glowing in the dim room.

He inspects video footage of the area – mostly bushes and dirt roads.

“Here we monitor our side of the border and watch for possible crossings that could be used for infiltration,” he says.

They work day and night, and through bombardments, he adds.

That morning, a dozen Russian soldiers moved inside Ukrainian territory before a brigade drone dropped a grenade and forced them to retreat, according to a video the 127 brigade sent to AFP.

This area was among the first to be breached by columns of tanks sent through Belgorod in February.

With Ukraine’s troops now in control, Gryshchenko takes a tour through the recaptured territory, revisiting old battle scenes.

A Russian camp abandoned in the panic of the retreat, with pieces on a chess board still frozen mid-game.

A stretch of river used by the Ukrainian forces to surprise Russian special forces in May.

And a charred tank, the first Russian T-90 destroyed in Ukraine.

For the commander, it’s a trophy. But he regrets that it was so badly damaged his troops couldn’t reuse it.

“If we’d had the weapons we do now in March, I’d already be on the Red Square” in Moscow, he said.

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    Mute Sos
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    Jan 24th 2021, 8:43 AM

    The bravery of Navalny returning to Russia cannot be understated. This is how change is made by building up the resistance within the state and not running away. His bravery is putting Putin under a very uncomfortable spotlight and not only outside Russia.

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    Mute SC
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    Jan 24th 2021, 1:46 PM

    @Sos: he would be more useful to the left if he was murdered and it could be pinned on Russia. There is no way he’d win an election there. His policies are too right wing for Russians.

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    Mute SC
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    Jan 24th 2021, 1:46 PM

    @SC: to the west I meant

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    Mute Bala mc blaha
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:37 PM

    @SC: you dont get more right wing, Orthodox church appeasing, “family values” preaching, wrestling macho man than Putin.

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    Mute ▪️
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:48 PM

    @SC: Aw yeah cause it’s Putin’s left wing policy

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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:50 PM

    @SC: *his left wing policy of building a massive billion dollar mansion off the back of Russia’s enormous wealth, that must be what makes him so popular with the proles

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    Mute Glenn Halpin
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:31 PM

    @Sos: reminds me of the Cork Mayors who died on hunger strike in the War of Independence. Such bravery and sacrifice for country is a thing of the past in our comfortable existence today in the west. All relative of course.

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    Mute Michael Drennan
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    Jan 24th 2021, 10:43 AM

    Such a hero and an example to all of Russia and the world. I just hope and pray he doesn’t become a martyr. A braver man than I.

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Jan 24th 2021, 10:55 AM

    Trump not gone a week and more trouble starting all over the world

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    Mute Terry Cahill
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    Jan 24th 2021, 11:23 AM

    @Michael Maher: yeah.. much better to lie down and be quiet and do what your told.

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Jan 24th 2021, 11:27 AM

    @Michael Maher: Perhaps because the signals that dictatorship will be tolerated aren’t coming from the US any more.

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Jan 24th 2021, 12:25 PM

    @Martin Byrne: Dictator ! Brilliant By the end of 2021 you will eat your words.

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    Mute RogersRabbit
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:42 PM

    @Michael Maher: How would you describe him? Russia elections are rigged.

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Jan 24th 2021, 11:19 PM

    @RogersRabbit: Rigged like the American one?

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    Mute Kieran Woods
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:25 PM

    They criticise Russia for unfair treatment of Navalny while they push for the locking up Julian Assange for exposing war crimes. Just as you would expect.

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    Mute Jay Tea Planters
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    Jan 24th 2021, 11:09 AM

    Navalny is no saint. An ultra nationalist. And why would this have anything to do with Trump leaving office? Russia has form in the persecution of journalists, activists, LGBTQ groups, NGOs, oligarchs and anyone else who dares challenge the authority of a kleptocratic regime.

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    Mute JC O'Connachain
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    Jan 24th 2021, 3:43 PM

    @Jay Tea Planters: I’d say anyone up against Putin is painted as no saint by media there and Putin himself could be called ultra nationalist. I imagine to reach a point of rivaling Putin you have to be vociferous so I understand if he’d had to be daring in the past. Clue me up on why he’s no saint

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    Mute Tom Ripley
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    Jan 24th 2021, 8:39 PM

    @JC O’Connachain: if he is no Saint and none of use are he is still an incredibly brave man to go back. He must be prepared to die. Maybe he thinks they mightn’t martyr him. But it’s Russia if they want you dead they will try. Used to be if they wanted you dead you were dead but they seem to have gotten very sloppy in modern times

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:12 PM

    I’ve often wondered will true democracy ever flourish in Russia. I really hope it does someday soon but history would suggest that the Russian people prefer a ‘strongman’ in charge, someone who will make decisions without hesitation while invoking the spirit of ‘Mother Russia’. I’m not sure how different Navalny would be in this regard but I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to believe that he could slip into the role quite easily…

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    Mute SJF
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:49 PM

    @William Tallon: “true democracy” meaning people handpicked by the western establishment to push a neoliberal, pro big buisness ultra capitalist agenda. Got it.

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:01 PM

    @SJF: The ultra capitalist fits Putin and his corrupt oligarchs…

    “Since the start of Putin’s term in power, the share of extreme wealth in the private sector has been steadily increasing. Th is is in part because nationalizing some strategic assets has made their private owners rich—for example, the owners of Troika Dialog and oil company TNK-BP became billionaires over-night. Rising commodities prices in the past decade have also converted ownership of such assets into vast fortunes. Finally, two dozen businessmen with close connections to Putin made fortunes by winning infrastructure projects.”

    “There are more billionaires residing in Moscow than in any other city in the world (Freund 2015). Recent economic sanctions on Russian financial institutions and some sectors of the economy have reduced this number—many Russian billionaires have shifted their domiciles to Tel Aviv, London, or Zurich and have transferred their money abroad. Economic sanctions are, however, a reason for the rising share of extreme wealth in Russia. When the ruble was substantially devalued in December 2014, the super rich could afford to shift their assets into foreign currency so that many of their assets did not decline in value.”

    Russia’s Economy under Putin: From Crony Capitalism to State Capitalism
    https://www.piie.com/publications/pb/pb15-18.pdf

    I think you like his as he’s ultranationalist and anti-liberal, xenophobic, and promotes a strong military and a police state.

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:03 PM

    @SJF: Also, how did you manage to get 5 upvotes on an article posted 10 hours ago in 10 minutes?

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:37 PM

    @SJF: Errr… No, not really…

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    Mute SJF
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    Jan 24th 2021, 8:47 PM

    @David Jordan: ah ok. So what you’re saying is corruption, cronyism, unequal distribution of wealth and shady af tax practices?….sooo… exactly like the west… except of course when it happens in a country which is hostile to western imperialism it’s “undemocratic” if those oil oligarchs toed the line when it came to the US/EU agenda and foreign policy good ol Russia would be a paragon of free speech and a shining example of the democratic process….I never claimed Russia was some sort of utopia, nor that they are in any way shape or form less corrupt than the West I just find it ironic that people such as @William Tollon unironically throw about phrases like “undemocratic” when describing a mirror of our own electoral process, government and economic system (albeit an opposing one) evidently just parroting what is the extraordinary hypocrisy of the mainstream media in the West … as for how I got so many upvotes… clearly I’m a Russian bot….

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    Mute SilexFlint
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:25 PM

    Those tricky Americans building $1,400,000,000 palaces on the black sea!

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    Mute Ron Kingston
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:47 PM

    Russia is a federation of very different people and republics, many of whom desire independence and many of whom wouldn’t hesitate to have a go at their neighbours without a the threat of a very hard slap from Moscow, all the ex Soviet and Yugo states are ridden by corruption and old quarrels, any destabilisation can lead to some mighty flare ups. Better the devil you know maybe.

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    Mute DarraghLD
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:10 PM

    @Ron Kingston: I’m glad I googled before challenging you, I was going to say “are you sure you’re not thinking of what was the USSR or then the CIS?”, but I see you are right, there are 22 republics in Russia (including the one they stole from Ukraine – Crimea), as well as the regular Russian part of Russia. Thanks for making me look!

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    Mute Ron Kingston
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    Jan 24th 2021, 8:12 PM

    @DarraghLD: check out the YouTube channel bald and bankrupt, he is a Brit that speaks Russian, he travels to remote parts of Russia and gives a good mini history of the areas, he’s a bit tw*ttish sometimes but overall entertaining and informative.

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    Mute John Keane
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:22 PM

    US Meddling! Pot calling the kettle black here.

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    Mute Mislav Smok
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:14 PM

    USA and west you will never beat Russia

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    Mute Tom kenny
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    Jan 24th 2021, 7:46 PM

    @Mislav Smok: many have tried.

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    Mute Mark Gough
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:56 PM

    The hypocrisy of the west is unbelievable. Americans fighting each other and only one side battered by the state forces. Assange imprisoned in the uk for exposing western corruption. France battering any protestors there. All trying to divert away from our own troubles and the sheep falling for it

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Jan 24th 2021, 6:23 PM

    Hey Joe, Hey Joe, off to war we go.

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    Mute Tom kenny
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    Jan 24th 2021, 7:48 PM

    @Michael Maher: no one wins that war.

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    Mute Eugene Norman
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    Jan 24th 2021, 5:53 PM

    The US has every right to interfere in Snyder country it wants.

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    Mute Vaidas
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    Jan 24th 2021, 7:03 PM
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    Mute Vaidas
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    Jan 24th 2021, 7:04 PM

    Listen The Big Steal Podcast

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    Mute James Grant
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    Jan 24th 2021, 9:55 PM

    Hypocrisy from russia as usual and no mention of them infiltrating the nra and far right groups pushing trumps agenda for last few years at least

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    Mute Liam Mernagh
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    Jan 24th 2021, 11:23 PM

    The kettle calling the pot, black!!

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    Mute Liam Mernagh
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    Jan 24th 2021, 11:27 PM

    What is happening to my comments???

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