Russian strikes have left the southeastern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia almost completely without electricity, the BBC reports.
Russia has recently stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in an attempt to ensure power supplies during the coldest part of the winter. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry has reported that critical infrastructure is operating from backup sources, and water supplies and internet connections have also been disrupted.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on the Telegram that the enemy is attacking energy infrastructure every day, and that workers in the sector are working in particularly extreme conditions to keep people warm and well-lit. She added that increasingly harsh weather conditions are putting additional strain on critical infrastructure. As temperatures drop, outages are becoming more frequent.
The state-owned energy company Ukrenergo has said that
power supply restoration in the hardest-hit regions will begin as soon as the security situation allows,
with the main task being to restore critical infrastructure. Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov said that all hospitals in the city are currently operating on generators. Treatment has not stopped, and water supplies are sufficient, while the sewage system is being operated by generators. He added that, given the power outages, school holidays have been extended until the 9th of January.
Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional administration, said that everything possible is being done to restore power. He said that water utility workers have managed to almost completely restore water supply to homes, despite the fact that the area is practically plunged into darkness.
The Russian attacks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said European allies have not given clear guarantees that they will protect his country if Russia attacks again.
Britain and France signed a declaration in Paris earlier this week that they would deploy troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Moscow, meanwhile, has repeatedly said that any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory would be a legitimate target.
Read also: US pledges support for security guarantees for Ukraine in Paris
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