Ukrainians are battling a record heatwave as residents also grapple with rolling blackouts from Russia's continued attacks on the country's energy system. The combination is creating a nightmare for the wider economy and everyday life. - REUTERS
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00:00By torchlight, Ukrainian mother Margarita Zakharchuk carries her child up to her 12th
00:06floor apartment. The lift is out due to a blackout. She is one of millions of Ukrainians
00:12struggling amid a record heatwave, compounded by regular power cuts making air conditioning
00:17units and refrigerators useless.
00:20The first thing that has changed is that we don't cook much anymore. Secondly, we cannot
00:27store products in the fridge for a long time. For example, curd snacks for children spoil
00:33quickly. On the second or third day, they are not edible anymore. That's why we only
00:38buy food that we can eat today or tomorrow.
00:42Regular Russian airstrikes have ravaged the country's energy system, leading to hours-long
00:47rolling blackouts. The Central Geophysical Observatory said on Tuesday it had clocked
00:52a record high 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit in Kyiv for July 15. Temperatures on Tuesday
00:59were expected to reach even higher.
01:05During the heatwave, we cannot use the air conditioner. We are trying to survive using
01:13the shower. We bathe children in the water or we try to be outside in the park if we
01:20can.
01:25Store owners like Victoria battle increased costs from running generators and product
01:30losses.
01:33We suffer a lot. Blackouts last for six to eight hours during the day and it's a problem
01:38for dairy and ice cream. We don't order a lot of milk or butter because it spoils. We
01:42have to return products.
01:47The country's broader economy is also struggling in the heat. State weather forecasters say
01:51the harvest of late crops could decline by up to 30 percent in central, southern and
01:57eastern regions. The Energy Minister has urged consumers to conserve energy and minimize
02:03the use of powerful electrical appliances to preserve the grid.