Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged Ukrainians to conserve energy amid relentless Russian attacks that have halved the country’s energy capacity, after the United Nations health agency warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine this winter.
Officials said millions of Ukrainians, including the capital, Kyiv, could face power outages at least until the end of March, due to missile strikes that Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said caused “enormous” damage.
Temperatures have been extremely mild in Ukraine this fall, but are starting to drop below freezing and are expected to drop to -20 degrees Celsius or even lower in some areas during the winter months.
Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities came after a series of war failures, which included the withdrawal of Russian forces from the southern city of Kherson to the eastern bank of the mighty Dnipro River, which bisects the country.
“The systematic damage caused by Russian terrorist attacks to our energy system is so great that all our staff and companies should be aware and redistribute their consumption throughout the day,” Zelenskiy said in a video released at night.
Ukrenergo chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said on Tuesday that almost no thermal or hydroelectric power stations were damaged, although he denied the need to evacuate civilians.
“We are not producing enough energy for consumers to use,” Kudrytskyi said at a briefing, adding that temperatures are expected to rise again after a brief period of cold weather Wednesday, which provides an opportunity to stabilize the power generation system.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said hundreds of Ukrainian hospitals and healthcare facilities lack fuel, water and electricity to meet people’s basic needs.
Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement after his visit to Ukraine, “Ukraine’s healthcare system is experiencing its darkest days in the war ever. Ukraine, which has suffered more than 700 attacks, is now the victim of the energy crisis.” .
According to Sergey Kovalenko, head of YASNO, which supplies Kiev with electricity, workers are in a hurry to repair the damaged electrical infrastructure.
“Stock warm clothes, blankets, consider options that will help you survive a long break,” said Kovalenko.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.