Good morning to readers; #Kyiv remains in #Ukrainian hands.

Russian captivity was hell for Oleksii - painfully dark and cold.

For him, Ukraine's power cuts aren't just uncomfortable, they are worsening his #PTSD and triggering flashbacks from the worst days of his life. https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/why-cold-darkness-worsen-ptsd-among

"I've started having bad dreams. I remember my punishment cell. It was constantly cold there. Even in summer, it was always cold in our cell," said Oleksii Anulia, who spent nearly ten months in Russian captivity in 2022.
#russia #captivity #pow

It has been three years since he was released from the punishment cell, where the air was saturated with mold and the stench of urine and feces.
#ukraine #war #pow

Yet, this winter Oleksii has begun waking in the middle of the night to flashbacks, as the darkness and cold in his own home resembles the conditions of captivity.

#ukraine #ptsd

He is not alone. Traumatic #memories have intensified among former #prisoners of war, with the onset of #blackouts, as power outages have become a powerful trigger.

Cold is one of the forms of #torture #Russian forces systematically use against #Ukrainians held in #Russian prisons. Today, that same cold has turned into a tool of pressure on #civilians, aimed at breaking society and forcing #Ukraine into concessions.

To learn more about how the conditions of #Russian captivity continue to shape Oleksii’s life long after his release, read the full story via the link https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/why-cold-darkness-worsen-ptsd-among

#NEWS OF THE DAY:

#RUSSIA-U.S. #NUCLEAR PACT EXPIRES: On Thursday, the last U.S.-Russia nuclear deterrence pact expires, AP reported. Opening up the possibility of the resumption of a nuclear arms race between the two largest nuclear arsenals in the world, after a half-century of nuclear deterrence. https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-nuclear-weapons-treaty-putin-trump-5b1af24b0b3e65a8acb6ca7153018beb

EU STATES LEAVE #ZOOM AND #TEAMS TO DISTANCE U.S.: Last week, #Paris announced that 2.5 million public sector employees will stop using #American video conferencing tools by 2027, AP reported. https://apnews.com/article/europe-digital-sovereignty-big-tech-9f5388b68a0648514cebc8d92f682060

MORE #UKRAINIANS READY TO #CEDE #DONBAS, BUT WITH #SECURITY GUARANTEES: In 2022, more than 80 percent of Ukrainians considered ceding territory to Russia unacceptable. Now, 40 percent are willing to give up #Donbas, but only under the condition of lasting peace and strong security guarantees from #European and #American partners, The New York Times reported. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-donbas-region.html

To learn more about how homeless people in #Ukraine live in the cold, read our story via the link https://www.counteroffensive.news/p/how-ukraines-homeless-are-faring

#CAT OF CONFLICT:
Today’s Cat of Conflict is Oleksandra’s cat Compote (it’s also the name of a Ukrainian winter drink made from boiled fruit). Compote isn’t the biggest fan of his new sweater, but without it he gets really cold.