Several politicians from NATO countries have made high-profile and high-stake visits to Ukraine, including PM Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson. However, this time, in what could be an interesting development, renowned British adventurer Bear Grylls was spotted in the war-torn country.
Ukrainian social media was abuzz with the news of Bear Gryll’s arrival on November 30. The Telegram channel ‘Perepichka news’ posted a photo and a short clip of Grylls recorded at a gas station in Ukraine.
However, the exact location and the purpose of his visit were not immediately clear.
Bear Grylls came to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/IeCt1P1DiY
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) November 30, 2022
Grylls is known for his survival skills show ‘Running Into The Wild’ and has already participated in several such endeavors, displaying his wilderness survival skills. Therefore, his visit to Ukraine amidst a bloody war has fuelled speculation that he could be in the country for a project.
Ukrainian military expert and journalist Illia Ponomarenko joked on Twitter, saying, “Bear Grylls came to Ukraine to put his skills to a real test in Zhytomyr.” On his part, Grylls has made no official statements about his activities in Ukraine. However, the celebrity did leave room for speculation on November 28 with a social media post.
Bear Grylls has come to Ukraine to put his skills to a real test in Zhytomyr :))
— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) November 30, 2022
Earlier this week, Grylls sent a pretty cryptic statement on his social media platforms, posting a selfie aboard an aircraft with a caption that read, “On the road again… what’s your nerve hack?”
The visit also coincides with an intense and motivated attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure by Russia, aimed at plunging the country into darkness. Russia has said it treats Ukraine’s power grids as military targets and would continue attacking them to curtail Kyiv’s war-fighting capacity.
The destruction of power grids has triggered fears that a humanitarian disaster could be on the anvil with a harsh Ukrainian winter looming over the citizens. Ukraine is bracing for the most severe winter in its post-independence history as Russian missile attacks on its energy infrastructure continue.
Russia fired 70 missiles across Ukraine on November 23, plunging the capital Kyiv into the dark and forcing inhabitants to queue for water and rely on snow melt when the water supply failed.
According to officials, half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged due to Russian attacks, which have been ongoing since early October. From the afternoon till the morning, entire cities remain dark, streetlights go out, and buildings are doused in darkness.
winter stands no chance: UK sent their secret weapon to help Ukraine – Bear Grylls, adventurer and TV presenter, famous for TV series Man vs. Wild, and survival life hacks, was seen in Ukraine.
Now he’s gonna survive in this reality. Will keep you updated.
📸 via Grunt/ґрунт pic.twitter.com/mvWHAtSYRm
— Margo Gontar 🔱 (@MargoGontar) November 30, 2022
Even though the United States and other NATO countries are now focusing on supplying power generators to Kyiv, the situation is expected to remain grim.
Against that backdrop, speculation is rife that Bear Grylls could be in the country to either film the hardship of Ukrainian citizens or test his survival skills as harsh winter sets in.
Bear Grylls Survival In Sub-Zero Temperatures
During his career as a television presenter, Grylls has done several episodes about surviving very low temperatures. In one of his episodes, he teaches how to ‘Survive in the Snow.’
He says, “plants and animals will not survive above the tree line, and you will not either. Stay down there for food, shelter, and warmth.”
In another episode, ‘Surviving the Cold,’ Grylls teaches his audience how to dig a snow cave and make a sleeping platform inside the snow cave to create an inlet for warm air.
This is besides his general tips on what to do if one is to cross a frozen river. The adventurer says, “Thick and blue equals tried and true; thin and crispy, way too risky.”
The presenter has also often taken to Twitter to share his favorite tips for surviving cold-induced hypothermia. After his arrival in Ukraine was publicized on Twitter, locals joked about whether the survival champion could give them tips on surviving the biting cold without adequate heating.
In 2021, a teenager who got lost on a snow-covered mountain survived owing to techniques he learned from watching TV adventurer Bear Grylls. Jake Denham, 14, was stranded in subzero temperatures for nine hours after being separated from his family.
He did, however, recollect episodes of Man versus Wild, hosted by Bear Grylls, and emulated his survival skills. As temperatures dropped to -17 degrees Celsius, Jake dug a tunnel for refuge and followed ski routes on the mountain.
With Russia hell-bent on destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and a significant humanitarian crisis, it remains to be seen what Grylls is in Ukraine for.
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