Frightful weather on both sides of the border Winter storm pounds Ukraine and Russia with heavy snow, wind, and rain
Winter storms left nearly two million people without power in Russia’s border regions and in the occupied territories of Ukraine this weekend, according to the Russian authorities. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reported that 2,019 settlements across 16 of the country’s regions were experiencing blackouts. Meduza has compiled key figures and images from Crimea, Ukraine’s Odesa region, the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics,” and the Russian-occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, as well as Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Crimea
The storm caused approximately 498,000 people in Crimea to lose power, according to occupation officials. Several Crimean municipalities declared states of emergency.
Residents of the Chornomorske District lost both water and heating. The Saky District experienced a gas outage after a pipeline was damaged by the storm. Roads were blocked or flooded in several parts of the peninsula, while 42 residential buildings and 42 vehicles were damaged. In Sevastopol, flooding in an aquarium reportedly led to the deaths of 500–800 animals.
According to Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry, one person in the region was killed and 10 people were injured due to the storm. More than 350 people were evacuated. Additionally, two people were killed during the storm in Sochi, the local authorities reported.
In Yevpatoria, which saw large-scale flooding, rescue workers evacuated 142 people from 40 flooded residential buildings and private homes. Another 100 people were evacuated from a hotel located near the shore. The Emergency Situations Ministry is currently still in the process of moving people from flooded buildings to other parts of the peninsula.
On Sunday, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, declared Monday a non-working day for residents of the region. The occupation authorities asked people to stay off the roads. Winds in the area are still expected to reach up to 40 meters per second (89.5 miles per hour).
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Krasnodar region
At the port of Taman in Russia’s Krasnodar region, the storm dislodged a bulk carrier flying the Belizean flag that was carrying barley for Egypt at the port of Taman. The ship drifted for about two hours before running aground near the town of Anapa. There were 21 crew members, including people from Syria, India, and Egypt, onboard. No casualties have been reported.
In Sochi and Adler, the wind knocked down numerous trees. Ten planes headed to Sochi airport were rerouted to alternate airfields in Mineralnye Vody, though they later returned to Sochi. Russian Railways reported that approximately 50 trains were delayed by the weather.
In Anapa, the authorities canceled schools on Monday.
There are currently seven storm warnings in effect in the Krasnodar region. Heavy waves were recorded in Anapa, Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk, and the Tuapsinsky District. Forty-three municipalities are at risk of high river levels and strong winds, according to the regional authorities. Heavy snowfall is expected in Sochi.
Self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk ‘people’s republics’ and annexed part of Zaporizhzhia region
Twenty-two municipalities in the self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic” experienced blackouts due to the storm.
In the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic,” 525,000 customers lost power. Multiple municipalities experienced water outages.
In the Russian-occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, 37,000 customers lost power. Five districts of Berdyansk were flooded, with water levels reaching 40 centimeters [15.7 inches] on average.
Odesa region
In the Odesa region, where the storm hit on Sunday, rescue workers used armored personnel carriers, among other tools, to remove snow left over from the storm. As of Monday morning, police had received reports of 71 road accidents. In the city of Odesa, the public transport grid had reportedly been damaged in 78 places, disabling most tram and trolley services. In one heating plant, a 100-meter (328-feet) chimney reportedly collapsed.
All schools in the region have switched to remote learning.
The worst-affected parts of the region are in the north and south, where the storm left snowdrifts as high as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet), according to the Ukrainian authorities. In the village of Udobne, near Odesa, border guards evacuated 42 people, including 10 children, while rescue workers evacuated six people who were stranded on the Izmail-Reni highway. Another six people sought medical attention after developing symptoms of hypothermia. In total, more than 500 vehicles, including 14 buses and 12 emergency vehicles, had to be towed due to the weather.
Altogether, 2019 settlements in 16 regions in Ukraine lost electricity, 14 roads were closed, and 840 vehicles were towed. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has urged drivers to avoid going to regions that were affected by the storms.
