03:05
The heating season in Ukraine usually begins in October. But Ukraine’s gas storage is currently only 60 percent full, down from 80 percent in previous years. CGTN’s correspondent interviewed people in western Ukraine and found that although summer is not over yet, people are already preparing for winter heating. In light of a possible heating shortage and the expected high heating bills, people are stockpiling coal and wood, buying electric heaters and furnaces and repairing and strengthening their homes. Experts predict that the minimum indoor temperature in Ukraine will drop from 18 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius this winter. Moreover, with 5 million Ukrainians out of work due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, only 10 percent of Ukrainians may be able to pay their heating bill in some areas.