From inside Ukraine it is possible to feel the change of season . Gone are the autumn leaves laying on the ground , replaced by snow and biting winds . Winter is arriving in Zhytomyr , and this brings with it new challenges for Supersprox . The winter has brought a strategic shift in the actions of the Russian military . I was in Ukraine on the first days of the war . That was a tough moment . I believe that most Ukrainians and much of the world imagined that Russian forces could swiftly pass through the land with the speed and efficiency associated with a superpower . Looking back , it is clear to see that things have turned out rather differently . And the Russian government seems to be bringing itself everything that it has been fighting to push away . Whilst I try to avoid the war topic at work and focus on managing the business , it is impossible not to hear soundbites from time to time . In the western news , I can hear talk of the need for negotiation and the fear of waning support . However , the general opinion remains one of continued

We lost power and installed a generator .

support of a Ukrainian nation that has been invaded by Russian forces . This assumes that Russia is fighting against Ukraine ! But Putin ' s tone in his domestic speeches to the Russian people , and his actions , have changed recently . Now he says that his war is actually against America , NATO and Europe , not the people of Ukraine . Presently , Putin ' s words and the words of the Russian state media are more about hatred of the West . Compared to the start of this war , he has changed the tone . In the first days he said that Russia was invading Ukraine to save the Russian minority from persecution and genocide . He specifically cited the Ukrainian Nazis , who he said were

committing crimes against Russian minorities . Now he is intimating that all Ukrainians are brothers of one family , they need to be protected against America and NATO . He now says that the Ukrainian Nazis were , in fact , American and British infiltrators . This brings us to the point where Russian artillery started shooting at Ukrainian infrastructure , which , due to the deadlock in the Southeast , seems to have come about at the Dnepr River . A physical barrier of water that neatly cuts through Ukraine from Chornobyl in the north , running south to the Black Sea , near Crimea and Odessa . The river crossing is making progress difficult for both sides to move . And that is where the situation turned darker because the bombing of infrastructure is , clearly , connected to the retreat of Russian troops and the stall at the Dnepr . It appears to be stepping up to the next level , where troops move back and fire all sorts of munitions at Ukraine civilian

put out of action , bringing the working temperature in the factory below 10C ( 50F ). Not a single person complained about the cold . There are no streetlights in the city , but I never hear people say that it is unacceptable . We lost power and installed a generator . We lost city water supply and dug a well . We anticipate that the internet can be lost , so we are probably going to install Starlink satellite for internet . Every time the Russian war on Ukraine pushes us , we push back ! And that is the same all over Ukraine . Militarily , Russia is not able to overrun Ukraine . Bombing civilian infrastructure is making the people more resolved to throw out the invaders . Putin ' s threats against Finland and Sweden brought them swiftly to the NATO table . From the start of the war , I have tried to keep away from expressing any political point of view . My goal was to support our Ukraine team and save the company , so that they would have something to do after the madness is finished . When I hear people in the West complaining about the cost of the war , and whether the West should be involved or not , I lose sleep . As a British Citizen , working 11 years

Winter at Supersprox

infrastructure . Targeting infrastructure that supports the lives and wellbeing of ordinary Ukraine citizens , more than the Ukraine military . Targeting civilians in the winter ! And all the time , Putin is claiming that he is saving Ukraine . This tactic is surely not going to break the Ukrainian resolve . From what I noticed , the Ukrainian people become more determined every time the power , heat and water are lost . In the Supersprox factory the staff adapt to each new situation . If the power goes down , we can run off the generator , but with some limitations . Not all machines operate as they should and constant power spikes damage electronics . Our heating system was

in Ukraine , I understand how different we are culturally . There is no way to politely withdraw from this war . Showing weakness and fear will only bring the troubles of the East to the citizens of the West . Putin is not a man who respects kindness . In his eyes , that is weakness to be immediately exploited . I believe that we all have good times and bad times . It ' s what makes us , it defines who we are as people . This is a time to endure , and to make choices that will benefit future generations , even if we must suffer a little in the process . Otherwise , Russia will be at our borders and that could undermine global security for our children ' s lives .