Civilians may already be retrieving from the back of their closets the experiences of the winters of 2022 and 2023, when Russian strikes on energy facilities forced rolling blackouts and climbing stairs on foot in apartment buildings became the norm rather than the exception.In 2024, it felt like the experiences of previous years were distant, in the past, and no longer realistic."And now — autumn 2025. It feels as if we are silently going back two years, retrieving power banks and fueling generators."This may be the last such endurance test for Ukraine’s rear, as Moscow’s window of opportunity to enforce its maximalist demands gradually closes.But there are also questions for the Ukrainian authorities — were enough measures taken, if any, to prepare the population for another test? The president’s words that winter will be difficult are certainly not enough. A demonstration of effective management algorithms is needed…Of course, we will survive all this. The question is, at what cost.SourceAbout the author. Viktor Shlinchak, Chairman of the Board of the Institute of World Policy.The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.