Exploring Russia's New Posed Urban Developments
In the heart of Eastern Ukraine, the region of Donbas is grappling with a severe water crisis, exacerbated by an acute drought and the ongoing conflict. The situation has been further complicated by the inefficiency of Moscow's response and the occupation administration's failure to address the issue effectively.
Mariupol, a city once ravaged by Russia's bombardment, is taking on the role of a modern-day Potemkin city, concealing the humanitarian disaster happening across the occupied territories. Residents currently receive only a couple of hours of intermittent water supply every two days, forcing them to resort to drastic measures such as digging wells, collecting rainwater, and even using water from puddles.
The city's deterioration and scarce access to basic utilities after 11 years of occupation reflect the Kremlin's lack of interest in areas it has seized. Mariupol, now being reconstructed with billions of dollars by Russian authorities, is still far from complete, with thousands of pre-war residents deprived of their flats and left with minimal compensation as residential complexes are built on the site of their former homes.
Donetsk, the largest city in Donbas and once known for hosting football stars and world-famous musicians, is now described as worse than a provincial town from the 1980s. The current water supply system in Donetsk is heavily damaged by war, and a pipeline from Russia built by the occupation administration is losing up to 60% of the water it carries.
Water in the Donbas region is expected to be supplied in the future from a more powerful source, likely through projects aimed at improving water infrastructure. However, specific information about the delayed project and whether it will improve water supply in Donetsk is not clearly detailed in available sources.
The region faces a harsh winter without either water or electricity due to inefficient proposed solutions and the shutdown of supplies from non-occupied Ukraine. This critical shortage of housing for displaced people evacuated from war zones in Mariupol has led some internally displaced people from the occupied parts of Ukraine to return to Mariupol due to a lack of support from Kyiv.
The water crisis in Donbas is not just a local issue but a humanitarian concern that demands immediate attention. Mykyta (Nikita) Vorobiov, a political analyst and a Master's student at the University of Oxford, pursuing an MSc in Russian and East European Studies, has emphasised the urgency of addressing this crisis.
With nine out of 10 reservoirs in the region close to drying up, the situation became critical in August, with tap water only available in Donetsk for a couple of hours every three days. The ongoing conflict, exacerbated drought, and inadequate response from the occupation administration have combined to create a devastating situation in Donbas, a region most affected by Russia's imperial war.
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