As Russia Attacks Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure, Ukrainians Are Pleading for Blankets

The latest turn of events in the Russian war against Ukraine saw more civilians lose their life this past weekend while millions were celebrating Orthodox Christmas. Vladimir Putin had declared a ceasefire early on Friday in observance of the holiday, yet Russian forces continued to launch attacks. This news is just the most recent addition to the indiscriminate violence being inflicted upon the entire Ukrainian population. Residential buildings and hospitals have not been spared from relentless shelling, killing thousands of civilians and displacing millions.

The world has watched in horror as Russia has also targeted the life-support systems of Ukrainian cities, a deliberate strategy to destroy their energy infrastructure and make life miserable and desperate for millions of Ukrainians. Ukraine’s state energy company reported that Kremlin forces had hit thermal power plants, hydroelectric plants, and substations from main networks.

Amid these cruelties, Ukrainians are now facing a brutally harsh several months with below-freezing conditions. Winter in Ukraine is frigid and snowy, with temperatures in some regions regularly dropping to -5º Fahrenheit. These conditions are expected to last through March, and with energy outages in entire cities and regions, millions of Ukrainians face hypothermic conditions that could be deadly. In a recent assessment released by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), “25% of respondents said that they did not have access to sufficient heating, and more than 60% reported that their houses are in need of repair.” IRC is reporting that 17.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Since rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure will be a lengthy and challenging process, efforts to aid the populations at risk need to be inventive, practical, and easy to deploy. Enter the Siren Survival Wrap: a next-generation medical-grade blanket built and designed for in-field emergency scenarios. Siren Survival Wraps were created using the expertise of operational field medics, and are specifically designed for in-field environments where access to power is unavailable. Utilizing a proprietary “green grid technology,” they have a unique versatile six-layer laminated fabric platform that is clinically proven to create efficient and effective passive warmth without introducing an active heat source.

They’re wind and waterproof and appropriate for the most traumatic emergency conditions, including natural disasters, military deployments, and active conflict. Their reflective green outer quilting is also highly visible, making them particularly useful in increasing the likelihood of survival in a recovery scenario.

In November, Spartan Medical® and its charitable arm, the Proffitt Brothers Foundation®, teamed up with the James Hollister Wellness Foundation based in Rockville, Maryland to deliver 700 of these survival blankets and other life-saving supplies to Ukraine. “Spartan Medical® has the technologies and expertise to help the Ukrainian people, and we are determined to make a difference,” stated Vince Proffitt, USAF Veteran and President of Spartan Medical®. “These Siren Survival Wraps will directly assist Ukrainians in enduring this harsh winter.”

This technology could dramatically reduce the number of casualties that might result from a freezing Ukrainian winter through blackouts, and Spartan Medical® is determined to get more of them in the hands of the men, women, and children who are affected by this horrendous war.

As Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko recently pleaded, “Send blankets . . . or we’ll freeze to death.”