Russia Matters notes that by February 2026, most of Ukraine's power generation facilities had been damaged by Russian attacks. The power shortage left the heating systems in nearly half of Kyiv's 12,000 apartments inoperable.
What you should know
Before the start of the biggest war in Europe of the 21st century, research by the Royal United Services Institute, a UK-based think tank, concluded that Russia could take over Ukraine within 10 days. Russia invaded on February 24, 2022. Four years have passed, but there is no sign of an end to the war.
The main reasons for the war were the breakaway territories of Donetsk and Luhansk from Ukraine and the possible accession of Ukraine to the NATO alliance. The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that at least 1.8 million people have been killed or injured on both sides in the devastating war so far (from February 2022 to December 2025).
The UN Human Rights Office has confirmed the death of more than 15,000 people. However, the real number is estimated to be higher. A large number of children, women and civilians are among the dead. The CSIS report estimates that about 325,000 people have died on the Russian side and 140,000 on the Ukrainian side. However, this has not been independently confirmed.
Talks are underway at the initiative of US President Donald Trump to end the war. During the presidential election campaign, he claimed that he could end the war within 24 hours if he won. But after the efforts for the past year have not been successful, he has started to respond that ending the war itself is complicated, even though there has been improvement in the negotiation efforts.
Last Friday, trilateral talks were held in Genoa under the mediation of the United States. Although both sides said that the talks were positive, they have not been able to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Russia has occupied 80 to 90 percent of the territory of the Donbas region. Of the two provinces of Donbas, Luhansk is completely under Russian control. There is about 20 percent of Ukrainian presence in Donetsk. Russia has demanded that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the region to end the war.
Similarly, it has also demanded that the Donbas region be handed over to Russia. This proposal has been rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Because, according to the Ukrainian constitution, no government can divide the land.
The US has put forward the option of a referendum for this. However, Zelensky has said that the Ukrainian people cannot decide to hand over their territory to Russia.
Economic issues are also affecting the peace talks so far. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the country's economy can push the war for a long time.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is under pressure after the US stopped sending weapons. European partners have continued to support Ukraine. However, this has affected their own internal politics.
Hungary, a member of the European Union, has threatened to stop the 90 billion emergency loan it was supposed to give to Ukraine in the past. As the war escalates, the number of Ukrainian refugees in other parts of Europe is increasing. This has affected the internal politics and employment of those countries.
Russia has recently increased its airstrikes. It has been working to damage Ukraine's power plants and critical infrastructure. As a result, Ukraine is forced to import electricity from abroad. Russia's strategy is to weaken Ukraine economically and keep it under pressure through such tactics.
Russia Matters states that by February 2026, most of Ukraine's power plants had been damaged by Russian attacks. The lack of electricity has caused the heating systems in about half of the 12,000 apartments in Kiev to fail.
Despite this, Ukraine has continued its counterattack and resistance. Ukraine has fought for four years with the help of its European allies and the United States. So far this month, it has liberated about 300 square kilometers.
This is the most territory that the Ukrainian army has retaken since 2023. Ukraine took advantage of Starlink's cut-off of internet access to the Russian military. As the war dragged on, Russia received weapons from Iran and military support from North Korea. A large number of young people from around the world have illegally joined the Russian army. Ukraine has convinced its European partners that this war is important not only for itself but also for Europe as a whole. In a recent interview with the BBC, Ukrainian President Zelensky claimed that Putin has started World War III. He said that a tough military counterattack and economic pressure are needed to stop Putin's intervention.
'The question is not only how much territory he will seize and how he will be stopped.' He now wants some of our territory (Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia). But it is not just about land. This is a strategy to weaken us, to displace people from there,’ Zelensky said, ‘Maybe if he gets that much, he will be satisfied for a while . He will keep quiet . But then he will try to move forward . Our European partners think that he will stop for three to five years . But, I think he will move forward again very soon . Why he is like this, I don’t know ? But he wants to continue the war .’
Russia used its old weapons at the beginning of this war . In recent months, both sides have used advanced drones extensively . American economist Kenneth Rogoff says that this war has ignored international trust, the rule of sovereignty and the policy of non-intervention . He understands that this has had an impact on the global fuel, food cycles and inflation . He said the impact would range from the Euro to the Indo-Pacific region.
The war in Ukraine will make Russia more vulnerable in the future, says author John Tefft. He estimates that Russia has a high crime rate, a shrinking population, economic hardship, repression and corruption. “Whatever the outcome of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the changes it creates within Russia risk being profound and damaging. The long-term cost to the Russian economy will be high,” he wrote on the Rand School of Public Policy website, rand.com.
