Providing heat and electricity to residents is likely to be a key concern for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in the face of the upcoming presidential election set for Mar. 17, according to the UK Defense Ministry’s latest intelligence report on X (Twitter) on Jan. 25.
Putin has asked the Emergency Situations Minister, Alexander Kurenkov, to ensure the supplies amid subzero temperatures and heating breakdowns in 16 locations across Russia in recent months.
Read also: Moscow Oblast residents endure freezing homes amid heating crisis
The breakdowns are an extension of an existing problem that has plagued Russian cities and towns for decades, but has likely been exacerbated by Russia’s wartime policies.
Moscow has consistently favored military spending over reinvesting in public infrastructure, particularly since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Regional governments bear the brunt of reduced federal revenue, funding local volunteer forces, possibly straining budgets and leading to maintenance spending cuts. The mobilization likely caused a labor shortage, affecting various industries, including skilled heating engineers and plumbers.
Utility crisis has swept across Russia, with 43 regions facing breakdowns, leaving hundreds of thousands without heat, water, electricity, and gas, Russian publication The Moscow Times reported on Jan. 16.
94 accidents recorded from Dec. 1 to Jan. 15, a 29% increase from last year. Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, faced the most severe incident with 20,000 people without heating in -30°C temperatures.
Elsewhere, an accident left 14,000 residents and 237 buildings without heat in Novosibirsk, while 10,000 people in 282 buildings faced a similar situation in Lipetsk. Saratov also reported serious incidents, which cut off over 650 buildings and 100 social facilities, including schools and hospitals, from heating. In Volgagrad, tens of thousands of were also left in the cold.
Despite widespread degradation a rash of utility failures, Russian authorities are reportedly planning significant cuts to spending on utility infrastructure, the publication said.
Funding from the federal treasury for the utilities sector is expected to be slashed by more than half, according to the 2024-2026 budget.
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