US EditionWater shortages plague Russian-occupied Ukraine
DONETSK OBLAST, UKRAINE, AUG 05 – Destruction of key canal and failed reconstruction have left over 1.6 million residents with less than 1 liter of water per day, causing a growing humanitarian crisis, analysts say.
- On July 14, 2025, a woman carried bottled water in Mariupol as taps trickled only hours every few days and often yielded discolored water.
- The destruction of the Siverskiy Donets-Donbas canal in early 2022 severed primary freshwater, and Russia's 194-kilometer pipeline from the Don River only partially restored supply.
- Russia sent 75 water trucks to Donetsk, but only 33 arrived by July 25, providing just 0.6 liters per person for over 1.2 million residents.
- Many residents are quietly planning to leave amid distrust, and local observers have called on Russia-imposed authorities to act, as even pro-Russian voices turn critical.
- Humanitarian groups warn of a looming public health disaster from decaying sanitation and limited drinking water, as Pushilin claimed desalination plants may be built to address scarcity.
17 Articles
17 Articles
The spokesman-Review
Locals beg for Putin’s help as Russian-occupied Ukraine runs out of water
Russian influencers and propagandists portray life in Ukraine’s occupied regions as heavenly after Moscow’s invasion and illegal annexations, but water shortages in the region have gotten so bad lately that local children recorded a video pleading for help from “Uncle Vova” – President Vladimir Putin – in an appeal reminiscent of peasants’ supplication to the czar in centuries past.
Russian-Held Donetsk Region Plunges Into Crisis Amid Infrastructure Breakdown
Russia-controlled territories in Ukraine’s Donetsk region are facing an acute water shortage after Kyiv cut off supplies to areas under occupation, forcing Moscow-installed authorities to ration access and consider desalination solutions. The water crisis in Mariupol and surrounding towns is escalating due to the Ukrainian government’s decision to halt water delivery through the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal, which had long served both Ukrainian…
The population in the territories conquered by Russia suffers from various problems, such as water scarcity. Now a call for help has been sent to Vladimir Putin.
The Russians promised a new pipeline, but it doesn't bring enough water, and its construction was marred by corruption. The residents of Donetsk and Mariupol are also facing a humanitarian crisis.
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