An accident case

The Dnieper River flows through Kyiv. Illustration picture. AOP

According to the Meteorological Institute of Ukraine, the pollution of the waters of the Desna and Seim rivers, which originate in Russia, can affect the quality of Kyiv’s drinking water, reports the Ukrainian media TSN.

The Desna is the longest of the tributaries of the Dnieper River that flows through Kyiv, and according to the publication, the polluted water will reach the water intake point in Desnianskyi, the capital of Ukraine, between the 10th and 12th. September

At the same time, a message has started circulating on Ukrainian social media channels, urging the people of Kyiv to store water for five days’ needs.

According to TSN, the head of the health protection department in Kyiv by Valentina Ginzburg has allegedly sent a letter to the heads of municipal treatment facilities warning that Russia has released harmful substances into the rivers flowing into Ukraine, which significantly affect water quality.

Contaminated water is said to be a “real threat” to human health, which is why the letter calls for water storage. According to TSN, the authenticity of the letter has not been verified.

The call to store water has scared many Kyivites. However, according to the Kyivvodokanal company responsible for Kyiv’s water supply, the situation is under control and the water is still safe to use.

If deviations are found in the water samples taken from the Desna river, the authorities and Kyivvodokanal will immediately take action, the company says in a press release.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Olena Kramarenkon according to the report, “organic pollution” and elevated heavy metal concentrations have been observed in the waters of the Desna and Seim rivers. However, the use of water is still safe.

Rusty brown water

A Finn living in the capital of Ukraine Rafael Kolehmainen tells Iltalehti by phone that the water quality in Kyiv often leaves much to be desired. However, Kolehmainen has not heard about the alleged contamination of the water.

Kolehmainen, who has lived in several Ukrainian cities, says that tap water is not used for drinking in Kyiv.

Kolehmainen says that the supply of warm water has been interrupted several times since May. The reason is Russia’s attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

When Russia launched the largest single airstrike of the war in Ukraine last week, during which it launched more than 200 drones and missiles, warm water was not available for a long time.

– When the warm water came back on, rust-brown water came out of the tap, says Kolehmainen.

Power out

Russia is systematically bombing electricity and hydropower plants vital to Ukraine, which is also visible in Kyiv.

According to Kolehmainen, there was a month-long period at its best during the summer, when the electricity was out for only a short time of the day. Now the situation is different.

– Since then, there has been incomprehensible chaos again. Sometimes we are without electricity for seven hours, then the electricity is on for three hours again, until we are without electricity again. There are no timetables for power outages, or they are incorrect, says Kolehmainen.

As autumn and winter approach, Russia will probably only accelerate attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.

– The winter will be harsh, long and difficult, says Kolehmainen, who is already preparing for his third war winter in Ukraine.