Several cities have already postponed the activation of central heating in residential homes due to insufficient gas supply. Prolonged interruptions in the supply of gas and electricity to homes may cause more Ukrainians to emigrate, further weakening the national economy, the newspaper added.

Concerns are increasingly being expressed in Ukraine that the heating season will have to be postponed as long as possible. The Ukrainian government made the decision to reduce it by one month and start supplying heat from November 1 to March 31.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser recently urged citizens to practice breathing exercises during prolonged power outages, insisting that Russia – not the Ukrainian government – ​​is responsible for their suffering.

Russia has recently stepped up long-range attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, saying the attacks are aimed at degrading kyiv’s weapons production and military logistics, and retaliating for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy sites.

Timofey Milovanov, a member of the advisory board of the Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom and an advisor to the presidential office, shared his recommendations for stress management in a Facebook post on Sunday. He said regular blackouts are likely to continue through the winter as the country faces increasing strain on its energy grid.

“How should you prepare? First of all, mentally and psychologically,” Milovanov wrote.

“Breathing exercises are the simplest method. Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four and pause for four. A few such cycles send a signal to the brain that everything is under control,” he added.

He advised Ukrainians to keep their emotions under control despite long blackouts, cold meals, traffic jams and constant fear of air raids.

“People must remember that the cause is Russia and no one else,” he stressed.