Thousands of people are reportedly freezing to death inside Russia.
The Russian population has been plagued by extensive power outages for several months. In many cases, this has led to a life-threatening lack of heating.
The British Ministry of Defense has detailed this in a new report.
“In the past few months, there have been heating outages in 16 areas across Russia. These outages are occurring during sub-zero temperatures and are an expansion of an existing issue that has troubled Russian cities for decades,” the department emphasized on X, previously Twitter.
“The issue has likely become more acute due to Russian wartime policies.”
"Possibly Thousands of Dead Civilians"
According to the UK, Russia has systematically prioritized military spending over its own civilian population, resulting in public infrastructure no longer being adequate.
“Furthermore, mobilization has likely led to a shortage of labor across all sectors, including qualified heating engineers and plumbers.”
The crisis is severe, says Jason Jay Smart, a political expert in post-Soviet and international politics.
“Estimates suggest that perhaps thousands of Russian civilians have frozen to death,” he told Newsweek.
"Near Breaking Point"
The expert agrees that the crisis has arisen as a result of the Kremlin pushing regional governors in Russia to cut infrastructure since 2022 to fund the war in Ukraine.
“This is another sign that Russia is becoming increasingly unstable and approaching a breaking point,” says Jason Jay Smart.
Crisis Appeal to the Minister
Putin, expected to be re-elected as president in March, has now started to face backlash from his own population.
The dictator is also reported to have recognized the emergency and has appealed to Alexander Kurenkov, the Russian minister for emergency situations, to resolve the issue.
“This is a key issue for Putin ahead of the upcoming Russian presidential election,” the department underscores.
25 Percent of Moscow
Approximately 25 percent of Moscow's inhabitants are said to have been without heat during the harsh winter of January, reports Newsweek.
Among other incidents, a 60-year-old Russian naval officer reportedly froze to death in his home near St. Petersburg after losing power on January 3rd.
The American newspaper also writes that domestic discontent is growing against the regime due to rising food costs and soaring inflation as a result of Western sanctions.
