The Russian-installed head of the occupied Donetsk region has ordered emergency measures to prevent communal water tanks from freezing this winter, a tacit admission that severe water shortages are expected to continue.
Denis Pushilin announced that "methodological materials," based on the "experience of Moscow," have been developed to protect the large street-side water bowsers that have become the primary water source for many residents. In a statement released on Oct. 27, Pushilin highlighted the need to keep the tanks from freezing and mentioned plans to "involve volunteers to warm up the taps."
The region has faced a critical water crisis, exacerbated by the destruction of infrastructure like the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal during Russia's full-scale invasion. Residents in major cities receive water for only a few hours every several days.
Pushilin has instructed the occupation's "Ministry of Construction" to distribute the new guidelines to municipalities, setting a Nov. 7 deadline for local leaders to review the materials and provide feedback. Recent reports indicate that authorities have begun wrapping some of the 1,666 tanks in Donetsk with thermal covers.