Despite this week's Russian retreat from Kherson, life in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv continues to grow increasingly difficult as the city struggles with major power outages now tellingly impacting everyday life. By Robert Mulhern, Ukraine War Diaries producer In March, Ilyas Verdiev said goodbye to his wife and two young sons at the Polish border, before returning to his job as an IT specialist, in a city now growing ever darker. More times than he can remember, Ilyas - like so many residents - has been laid low in apartment block basements and underground Metro stations while Russian air attacks rain above. After each raid, life defiantly returned: stand-up comedy shows, dinner with friends, the indulgence of a McDonald's - more often than not, the pendulum has swung from war back to life when the warning sirens stop. Click to subscribe to Ukraine War Diaries wherever you get your podcasts These days however Kyiv’s resolve is facing a stern examination. Major power outages and interne