A critical water shortage is escalating into a full-blown humanitarian crisis across Russian-occupied Donetsk, The Guardian can reveal, as Moscow's military continues to fail in its objective to capture a vital Ukrainian canal system.
The Siverskyi Donets canal, a crucial piece of infrastructure that channels water into the arid region, remains tantalisingly out of reach for occupying forces. This failure has left hundreds of thousands of residents in occupied territories facing severe and worsening water rationing, with many districts receiving running water for only a few hours each day.
The Strategic Waterway Just Beyond Reach
Military analysts suggest that gaining control of the canal has become a key strategic objective for Russian commanders, not just for political control but for basic governance of the captured territories. However, Ukrainian forces have so far successfully defended its approaches, leaving Russian authorities unable to solve the growing public health emergency.
Local reports from within the occupied city describe a desperate situation where residents are increasingly dependent on humanitarian aid deliveries and the drilling of private wells to access groundwater. The quality and safety of this water, however, remain a significant concern for health officials.
A Deepening Humanitarian Catastrophe
The water crisis is compounding an already dire situation in a region battered by constant shelling and a crippled infrastructure. The lack of clean, running water raises the spectre of waterborne diseases and creates impossible living conditions, particularly for the elderly and vulnerable populations who were unable to flee.
This standoff over a water source highlights a often-overlooked aspect of modern warfare: the battle for control of essential resources. The inability to provide basic utilities like water fundamentally undermines Russia's claims of stable governance in the areas it occupies.
With no immediate military solution in sight and the canal still under Ukrainian control, the plight of civilians in Donetsk is likely to deteriorate further, marking one of the war's most severe yet underreported humanitarian disasters.
