Ukrainian Children Beg Putin for Help as Russian-Occupied Regions Face Water Crisis
Ukrainian Children Beg Putin for Help as Russian-Occupied Regions Face Water Crisis
August 5, 2025 – In the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, a growing water crisis has left residents desperate, with children leading the charge in a poignant appeal for help from President Vladimir Putin. The situation has reached a breaking point, with locals in the Donetsk region recording videos pleading for assistance from the Russian leader, echoing the desperate cries of peasants to the tsar centuries ago.
Children in the Donetsk region have captured the attention of the world with a video plea to “Uncle Vova,” a term of endearment for Putin, asking for help in securing access to clean water. One girl, wearing a T-shirt that reads “Lucky,” said: “We will get lice and worms. Uncle Putin, you are the only one who can help us.”
Residents are not only suffering from the lack of water but also from the poor quality of the water that is available. Videos shared on local Telegram channels show reddish water in pots and a small dribble from taps, with one man expressing frustration: “Why do you hate us so much? Where are you all? What are you trying to do, poison us all as soon as possible?”
Pushilin, the Moscow-appointed head of the Donetsk region, has acknowledged the crisis, stating that workers have to fix “a hundred breaks a day” in water pipes. In some areas, 60% of piped water is being lost, and water is delivered for only a few hours every two to four days.
In response to the crisis, Putin has ordered the dispatch of 50 emergency teams and 88 water tankers from Moscow and surrounding regions, with plans to send an additional 60 tankers from other Russian regions. However, this has not been enough to quell the growing frustration among residents.
The water crisis is not just a local issue; it has also impacted daily life in Russia, with long queues at airports and flight delays caused by Ukrainian drone activity. In recent days, a major cyberattack on Aeroflot’s computer systems by Belarusian anti-Kremlin hackers caused dozens of flights to be cancelled.
Pro-Kremlin authorities in Donetsk have blamed Ukraine for the water issues, with Pushilin claiming without evidence that Kyiv is instituting a “water blockade” against the region. However, according to Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the pre-occupation Mariupol mayor, it was Russian forces that destroyed the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal infrastructure, a critical water source for the Donetsk region.
Residents of the occupied Donetsk region have also addressed an open letter to Putin, begging him to take personal control of the problem. In the hardest-hit village, Osypenko in Makiivka, there has been no water for a month, with locals lining up at a water-pumping station to fill plastic flasks.
As the crisis continues, the Russian government has attempted to manage public discontent over the water shortage through propaganda and automated accounts on social media. According to a report by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab and OpenMinds, pro-Russian bots have been used to foster opposition to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and promote Russian authorities in occupied Ukraine.
Despite the efforts made by both Russian and Ukrainian authorities, the water crisis in the Donetsk region remains a pressing issue, with no immediate solution in sight. The desperation of the residents, particularly the children, serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of the ongoing conflict.
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