The Economist predicts that this winterʼs increase in fuel tariffs in the EU may cause more additional deaths than the number of fatalities in Ukraine since the start of a full-scale Russian invasion. In the material generous with interactive tables, the publication determines how many people additionally die from a decrease in the average winter temperature by one degree indoors or outdoors ― this is +1.2% to the total number of deaths. And raising heating tariffs by 10% leads to an increase in the number of deaths by 0.6%. This is an average, and depending on whether the country is located in the north or in the south, the figure varies. For example, in Finland the correlation is different, because the houses and municipal systems there are well adapted to low temperatures. On the other hand, the population of Portugal, Spain and Cyprus risk being hit the hardest by the increase in heat tariffs. Depending on how severe the winter will be, the authors of the article predict excess mortality from 79 to 185 thousand people. This is without taking into account Ukraine. Here, "according to general estimates, 25-30 thousand soldiers died on both sides, plus at least 6,500 civilians." The publication notes that Ukraine bears the greatest burden from Putinʼs actions, and this article is not an attempt to show who is worse off. Just a reminder that Europe is losing lives too. "The damage Mr Putin is inflicting on Ukraine is immense. The cost for its allies is less visible. And yet, as winter sets in, their commitment will be measured not only in aid and arms, but also in lives," the publication concludes.
The war in Ukraine spurred the development of weapons manufacturers, writes The Wall Street Journal, providing specific facts and figures. The German concern Rheinmetall bought a Spanish competitor for more than a billion euros to have more production sites, the shares of the Swedish weapons manufacturer Saab have risen by 30% since the start of the full-scale invasion, and the American Lockheed Martin ― by 36%. The changes are especially noticeable for European manufacturers, because while companies from the US have been active global players, companies like Rheinmetall are used to working in a compact continental market that is shrinking rather than growing. Even Russiaʼs attack on Ukraine in 2014 did not significantly change the situation. But now companies have much more orders than they can process. The American Raytheon Technologies even cannibalized some of the old Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to use the spare parts for the production of newer ones ― and brought back to work many actually retired people who know how to assemble these ancient, but effective and in-demand installations. The L3Harris company, which has $200 million worth of arms contracts for Ukraine, gets needed chips by dismantling old radios due to a lack of chips on the market. All of these manufacturers are preparing to invest in ramping up production as the increased demand for weapons is expected to last for years. "We have to focus on a 10-15-year investment program to improve the security situation in Europe," says Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger.