It demonstrated the enormity of the humanitarian catastrophe in cities at the heart of the war in a way that would be hard to imagine otherwise.
The giant night-vision eye in motion in space followed the same region for over a year. It recorded more clearly everything that the human eye could see in the dark. The huge eye was at an altitude of about 800 kilometers. The resulting picture showed how the cities were gradually plunged into darkness and the difference with the surrounding countries.
The Black Marble unit of the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which published the special map of Hatay after the historical earthquakes in Turkey, this time put the Ukrainian cities, which have been resisting the occupation for thirteen months, at the center. The images were obtained from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Set (VIIRS) aboard NASA’s meteorology satellite Suomi NPP. The satellite in question has captured many natural disasters on Earth, from forest fires to lava flows, from light pollution to power outages caused by hurricanes.
‘NO ENERGY NO LIGHT’
Attacking Ukraine on February 24, the Russian army rained missiles on cities indiscriminately against civilian targets. The breaking point was when the Ukrainians blew up the Kerch Bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with the Russian mainland. Russian leader Vladimir Putin changed his tactics, and this time, starting from the beginning of October, he bombarded the strategic infrastructure facilities with missiles. The aim of the attacks, in which Kamikaze drones were also used, was that the Ukrainians gave up in the cold winter season.
However, Moscow’s expectation did not come true. Special report of the American New York Times newspaper, “No energy, no light, no water, no heating. In the last year, Russian missile waves hit the national infrastructure in Ukraine, civilians faced daily struggle, and repair efforts in a race against time were exhibited to ensure that the electricity was not cut off for months. It starts with “.
Images captured by a US satellite revealed an entire nation plunged into darkness. Images collected by the satellite from across Ukraine, showing the flooding lights of cities, showed the enormity of the humanitarian catastrophe in a way that would otherwise be hard to imagine.
“There’s huge blackouts. It’s depressing,” says Eleanor Stokes, who leads NASA’s Black Marble project.
According to the report, in cities such as the capital Kiev, lights that looked like spider webs before the war faded and disintegrated in the following months. Satellite photos prove the difference before and after February 24, 2022 in Europe’s second largest country.
While most Ukrainian cities spend the whole winter in darkness, without electricity, water and heating, December 2022 is the country’s World War II. It was recorded as the coldest and darkest month since World War II.
