Volodymyr Kukharenko
Helping translation companies to automate business and project management | βπ£π π₯πππ π€ ππ£πππ€πππ₯ππ π πΉπ¦π€ππππ€π€ ππππππππππ₯ ππͺπ€π₯ππ
National Technical University of Ukraine ‘Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’
Protemos
Ukraine
Jan 20, 2026
Another day at the office without electricity. Batteries got charged at night, and we have a generator as backup, so work continues. There is no heating, though, so I am working in a warm jacket and a hat.
In the morning, there was no running water either. It is back now, but I have already bought a 100-liter water barrel to be better prepared next time.
My mom is currently in the hospital. She has undergone surgery and is now learning to walk again. In about a week, I will need to figure out how to bring her home to a seventh-floor apartment. The elevator must be working at that moment (not sure it will). Then come regular doctor visits and rehabilitation (if elevator not working, how?).
Yesterday evening, we unexpectedly had stable electricity at home. I even caught myself asking why it had not been switched off yet. Later that night, Russian missiles struck our infrastructure again.
This is daily life for millions of Ukrainians. We work, care for our families, and keep going. Even when conditions are far from normal.
Because Russia is a terrorist state, and 99% Russians either support it, or just do not care. And I am not even allowed to write here what I feel about themβ¦
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A bit of glimpse into life in Ukraineβ¦
I write sitting in my kitchen, as here I am have a lamp that works from battery.
This morning I came to the office at 9 am. There was no electricity supply, so we worked from battery. that we bought for this purpose.
Then my brother came to take me to the hospital where our mom is now. She fell on ice on Wednesday, and got into the hospital. She cannot even sit up and needs serious surgery. And when air raid alarm sounds, she cannot go or be taken to shelter. We may do nothing but hope Russian drone or rocket won’t fall on us.
It was also cold there, and nurse said it might get worse, no electricity and heating at all, with minus 15 outside.
So we found another hospital in different part of Kyiv where situation is much better, it’s warm there, and the surgery is scheduled for Monday morning.
Relieved after visiting her in warm hospital and taking to doctors, I went to the office. There was no electricity supply till the end of the working day, but the battery did hold on, 15% charge still left.
We took kids from school. They have a generator there, as it is a private school that can afford it. But state schools are closed till February at least, to save the energy.
I came home at 18.00, and THERE WAS ELECTRICITY! So we coocked and had dinner before it was gone at 19.00. Most likely, it won’t come again till 8.00 am.
But if we have the electricity supply in the middle of the night, bright light will hit my eyes, I will jump up and start switching on washing machine, dishwasher, rice cooker, make sure batteries and lamps get charged.
Tomorrow I am planning to go to training in swimming pool with kids, an not sure how warm the water will be.
Luckily, I live in a building where the management installed solar batteries on the roof, so lifts, water pumps and lights in corridors work most of the time. And we are crowd funding a 30 kW diesel generator to make it through.
And I am better off than many people in Ukraine. Not everyone has batteries or can walk 20 floors up to the freezing apartment.
There could be another bombing this night in addition.
So if anyone dares to say I am writing propaganda or hate speech, come here. Works like magic. You’ll get very Russophobic in days. I live such life for almost 4 years.
Comment from :
Thank you Volodymyr for this. You makes the brutal reality very clear. This struck deep.
Slava Ukraini!
ruzzians were always good at genocide, and doing it again now. Keep strong, Ukraine ππ»
Thank you for not stopping writing the truth about the life in Ukraine. In the avalanche of lies there must be more rays of truth.
Thank you very much Volodymyr for your post and your thoughts. I hope your mother will recover from her serious fall. You also said that public schools are closed due to these extreme circumstances! That is also dreadful! All these children not going to school! Knowing about the famous Ukrainian creativity the students will probably have assignments and all but still! Education is a human right. Due to the russian attacks schools are closed and thatβs another crime to add to the already endless list of war crimes committed! Thanks again.
That’s why the entire country of mafia land should be burned to the ground.