Ben Lowry: Ukrainian suffering made worse by the bitter cold

However high fuel prices in Northern Ireland, it is as nothing compared to suffering in Ukraine.

Quentin Sommerville’s BBC report in which he walked past frozen dead Russian soldiers showed what is happening in Europe.

An elderly woman is coated in snow as she sits in a wheelchair after being evacuated from Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, this week. Spring should bring some relief from the bitter conditions, and we can only hope that the war is over long before temperatures cool again in autumn (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)placeholder image
An elderly woman is coated in snow as she sits in a wheelchair after being evacuated from Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, this week. Spring should bring some relief from the bitter conditions, and we can only hope that the war is over long before temperatures cool again in autumn (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

So I do not seek to be trivial when I say that with spring the horror of war and shortages will soon no longer be accompanied by bitter weather conditions.

We know from the world wars how such coldness exacerbated the agony caused by conflict, and of itself killed people.

Let us hope that with the global pressure on Vladimir Putin it is all over well before the temperatures begin to drop again in the autumn.

Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter editor

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdowns having had a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit

now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry, Editor

News you can trust since 1737
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice