Analysis
International Relations
Prague’s Election Looms Large Over Central Europe’s Security Fate
2 October 2025
19 November 2024
As Ukraine braces for winter amidst escalating Russian offensives targeting power infrastructure, the country faces the real possibility of another wave of refugees. With rolling blackouts expected to last hours each day and millions already displaced, the looming cold season places further strain on Ukraine’s crisis response.
Russia’s full-scale war has caused devastating losses for Ukraine – a drop in birth rate, mass displacement and loss of civilian life by enemy shelling.
The exact impact is still unknown, but Ukraine has never before seen such rapid depopulation since gaining independence. The war has degraded essential services and livelihoods, damaged infrastructure and filled vast agricultural regions with landmines, forcing millions to seek safety abroad or in regions of Ukraine isolated from hostilities.