All articles tagged with #winter crisis
Ukraine faces a brutal winter with widespread blackouts and limited heating after Russian strikes on energy and heating infrastructure. Zelensky declared an energy emergency as outages persist, forcing households to rely on backups, gas stoves, and improvised solutions while supermarkets close and daily life adapts to a cold, dark grid.
Over one million people in southeastern Ukraine are without heat and water due to Russian air strikes damaging critical infrastructure, as Ukraine faces a harsh winter and intensified attacks aimed at crippling its energy supplies. Ukrainian President Zelensky calls for Western support and warns of potential new strikes, while diplomatic efforts continue to seek an end to the conflict, which remains unresolved with ongoing territorial disputes.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins has stated that avoiding a winter crisis in the NHS is her top priority. The health service is facing potential pressure this winter due to record waiting lists and warnings about fewer extra beds. Planning for winter started earlier than usual, resulting in the creation of 5,000 additional beds. However, the government's target to reduce waiting lists is at risk of failing unless doctors abandon plans for industrial action, which has already led to the rescheduling of 1.1 million appointments. The Health Foundation think tank estimates that industrial action has added around 210,000 patients to the waiting list.