Pretty regular thing here. :) Every time when suddenly we have below -30°C in winter, something happens everywhere. Pipes cracks, electric grid overloads and so on, Have nothing to do with fuel, really, but everything to do with corruption of local bureaucrats stealing money from infrastructure projects.This winter I had to start generator only twice, which is pretty low figure, really. Of course, those bureaucrats, who was in charge kind of punished or dismissed or moved to another position, but everything goes the same year by year. :)

It's funny, but "heating failures" in towns are not hardest problems or whatever. They fixed pretty fast, and relatively rare - once or twice a year only at severe temperatures. The main winter problem is when suddenly snow falls on the roads. In winter, yes. And always it is suddenly and none of bureaucrats ever prepared for snowfall and all that stuff. THAT is Russian winter disaster not that "heating failures". :) But seems nobody in the West want to know about that fact.

As usual, western MSM know absolutely nothing about Russia and our local problems. :)

As for "frozen West" - it is kind of funny. That Russian "heating failures" is how most of Nothern Europe lives every single winter for centuries. In Russia, +20-23°С in every single indoor square meter is a must. If temperature drops to +18°C or below in any indoor facility of apartment it is accounted as "heating failure", officially, and bureaucrats are punished if they allowed things reach that point. At the same time, in Europe it is normal to keep warm only living rooms. Idiocy, inability, greed, stupid engineering tradition or whatever. Long before any current European problems with fuel. So, Russian "heating failure" is just a standard situation accounted as normal for any European household. :)

PS: And I think it will be very entertaining to see what happens if -30°C temperature will suddenly fall on London or NY. :) One of the funniest Hollywood comedy I saw was "The Day After Tomorrow". :)