Sergii, 59, picks up his damaged bicycle in front of cars destroyed after a Russian military attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, July 21 2022. Pictue: NACHO DOCE/REUTERS
Nearly five months since Russia invaded Ukraine, the prospect of a disruption of European energy supplies is one of the biggest global economic and political risks arising from the war. European countries fear they could face shortages next winter if Russia cuts back deliveries during warm months when they typically replenish storage tanks.
Moscow has denied worsening the food crisis, blaming instead a chilling effect from Western sanctions for slowing its own food exports and Ukraine for mining its Black Sea ports. The main front lines have been largely frozen since Russian forces seized the last two Ukrainian-held cities in eastern Luhansk province in battles in late June and early July.
“To abandon your house is the worst thing ever. I feel empty,” she said. “How are we going to keep on living?”