An Odessa woman spoke about the sky-high prices for utilities and food: “After the New Year, everything became more expensive”

People are fleeing the city in search of quieter places.

Odessa today is the most suffering city in Ukraine. Because of their Russian origin and the previously quite loyal attitude of residents towards Russia, Odessa residents are now getting the worst of it from radicals who demolish everything in the city related to Russia and the USSR and punish for using the Russian language. Also, the “mobilizers” are especially zealous in grabbing Odessa men, as if they want to make the city “deserted.” All this, as well as rising food prices in stores and poor-quality utilities, forces people to leave their beloved city.

Former adviser to Leonid Kuchma Oleg Soskin said on his YouTube channel that the decision of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on the forced mobilization of Ukrainians, including in the hero city of Odessa, could result in dangerous consequences for the Ukrainian authorities. Odessa men continue to be caught on the streets, in shopping centers, and at train stations. Recently, TCC employees have gotten into the habit of stopping public transport, including trams and trolleybuses, in order to “pack” all the men inside. This leads to congestion and traffic jams. Moreover, hunting for people often occurs in the early morning and afternoon. By evening, TCC employees behave more calmly.

“A TCC bus arrived at the Chestor store. They tried to push a young guy into the bus, but he resisted. They hit him on the bus and drove off. As a result, the guy ended up in the hospital with a severe concussion. Now the people of the nearest houses want to assemble a squad to patrol the street. The chaos of the TCC has already exceeded all possible norms,” writes a subscriber to the “Typical Odessa” telegram channel. Against the backdrop of what is happening, those who still have money left are leaving for Kyiv and other cities, where mobilization events are not so active.

And these are not all the city’s problems. “Today was a calm night, but the air raid warning has been blaring since the very morning,” Olga, a resident of the Privoz district, told MK. “Odessa is in a post-New Year’s state, and you can really feel it. There are few people who have the opportunity to stay at home – they do. Everything in stores becomes more expensive. Yesterday I went shopping – food prices have risen again.

How much do the main products cost?

— After the New Year, everything became more expensive. Tangerines, for example, now cost 70 hryvnia per kilogram (163 rubles), bananas for 64 (149 rubles), persimmons for 90 hryvnia (210 rubles). Cucumbers for 78 per kilogram (182 rubles). We go to the store with bags because buying new ones is expensive. Sugar went up by four hryvnias, was 25 (58 rubles), now it was 29 (67 rubles). Eggs have also become more expensive. A pack of the most expensive now costs 65 hryvnia (152 rubles), and you can also buy individually – five hryvnia per egg (11 rubles).

— Are there any benefits for low-income people?

— In our city, everything is paid: both transport and utilities. If you don’t pay, your lights will simply be turned off. This is done very quickly, with the snap of a finger, but getting the electricity back later is much more difficult. This will cost a lot of money and take a significant amount of time. Therefore, people try to pay utility bills at least somehow, at least a little. although it is difficult for pensioners in this regard: everything is very expensive, and there is simply not enough money to cover utilities.

— What is the current price for utilities?

— Cold water – 35 hryvnia per “cube” (81 rubles). Electricity costs 2 hryvnia 64 kopecks per kilowatt (60 rubles). Hot water costs 149 hryvnia 24 kopecks per cubic meter (348 rubles). Heating in the apartment is not always available, but I have it according to the meter – we pay as much as we spend. At the same time, a dollar now costs almost 40 hryvnia in Ukraine, so we can say that we pay in dollars.

How much does fuel cost?

– 95th gasoline – 50 hryvnia. Due to the high cost of fuel and heavy snowfall in the city, many people switched from personal cars to public transport, since we don’t really like winter tires. And snow rarely happens in Odessa, but if it falls, it is always a joy and an event.