Recent months in Ukraine have been defined by a bitter winter. With reported lows of minus 20 degrees, the cold has seeped into all parts of everyday life. Repeated drone and missile attacks on critical infrastructure have caused widespread power outages and disruptions, leading to unprecedented hardship across the country as communities battle persistent cold and darkness without heating or electricity.
MAG has been working in Ukraine since early 2022 to respond to the urgent need to clear landmines and explosive remnants of war. As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, we shine a light on the resilience of our colleagues working through these harsh conditions to keep communities safe.
Even when the power goes out, MAG’s life-saving work must continue.
Life in Kyiv: surviving the blackouts
With frequent strikes targeting vital power supplies, Kyiv has been plagued by both planned and emergency city-wide blackouts. Speaking about enduring the outages, Maryna Diachenko, Information Management Officer, based in the capital, explained, “We live with regular power cuts and cold weather, so everyday life with a child requires constant adaptation. We have learned to plan our day around the availability of light and heat, prepare in advance for power cuts, and find alternative ways to keep warm. It is especially difficult to maintain inner strength and cope with the daily workload.”
Conditions at home during blackouts. The rechargeable lamp has become an indispensable item.
Grace Newton, Information Management Systems Manager, added: “This winter has been very difficult. We haven’t had consistent heating and there have been power outages for over sixteen hours. I wear my coat, hat, and gloves indoors, and my body is sore from shivering all the time.”
Across the city, people have been turning to ‘points of invincibility’ – generator-powered shelters providing heating, electricity, water, and internet that citizens can use free of charge during blackouts.
In Kyiv, the MAG office itself has become a vital resilience hub. “We recently consolidated all Kyiv-based staff into one office, which we power with a generator. MAG keeps the office open from 8am to 9pm, including on weekends, so that everyone can spend extra time here to stay warm,” said Grace.
Resilience hub in downtown Kyiv
Resilience across the regions
Throughout the regions, MAG bases are also supporting staff by providing essential services. Liia Pokynboroda, Base Manager in Mykolaiv, explained how, “There is currently no electricity for six hours, then it’s on for two hours. The office functions as a resilient hub from morning until 9pm. We are planning to install a washing machine and tumble dryer for staff to use.”
Generator powering MAG’s office in Kyiv
However, even with office generators providing a lifeline, regular operations still come under strain. Oleskii Sosyura, Admin Support Officer in Kyiv, explained, “You can see how much the situation has deteriorated in the way we conduct generator maintenance, which needs to be done for every 200 hours of use. We had the generator serviced in December 2025, but by January it had already exceeded its safe working hours and needed to be serviced again. On the worst day, the office was without power for eighteen hours straight.”
However, despite the ongoing hardships, MAG teams have been adapting to these difficult conditions to ensure that as many activities as possible, such as risk education sessions, can continue. Vladyslav Kononichenko, Deminer Team Leader in Mykolaiv, described how, “The serious challenges of power cuts and low temperatures force you to be flexible and quickly adapt to the circumstances. It’s not about planning your own daily activities but adapting to the schedule of power outages. Working for a demining organisation, we continue to carry out our work even in difficult conditions, understanding its importance for people’s safety.”
Vladyslav Kononichenko, Demining Team Leader in Mykolaiv
Across Kyiv, Mykolaiv and eastern Ukraine, MAG teams haven’t faltered in their commitment to the task at hand – removing explosive remnants of war to protect civilians from harm, help communities rebuild, and ultimately save lives. But what’s more, despite the bitter conditions, our colleagues remain hopeful for better days ahead:
“This winter has been really harsh, but I see it as a temporary challenge. The main thing is not to lose optimism, because spring is just around the corner," says Ihor Yudenko, Community Liaison Team Leader from Balakliya.
Ihor Yudenko, Community Liaison Team Leader from Balakliya.
