Kiev [Ukraine], January 9: Russian attacks caused massive power cuts in the south of Ukraine overnight.
The Ukrainian Energy Ministry reported on Thursday that the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhya regions were almost completely cut off from the power supply, with about 800,000 people still without electricity in the Dnipropetrovsk region in the morning.
Repair work was under way to reconnect the areas to the grid for light and heat. The mayor of the city of Dnipro, Borys Filatov, extended the school holidays by two days due to the situation.
According to the authorities, electricity and heating supplies have been restored in the Zaporizhzhya region. Governor Ivan Fedorov described it as the first total blackout in the entire region in years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the power outage was "Russia's war specifically against our people, against life in Ukraine - an attempt to break Ukraine."
"There is absolutely no military rationale in such strikes on the energy sector and infrastructure that leave people without
electricity and heating in wintertime," he wrote on X.
He said it was another reasons why "diplomatic discussions cannot be a pretext for slowing down the supply of air defence systems."
The weather is also causing problems for Ukraine's energy supply, causing power cuts for parts of the Chernihiv, Kiev, Ivano-Frankivsk and Transcarpathia regions.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for almost four years with Western help. Russia has repeatedly targeted the neighbouring country's energy infrastructure.
Ukraine is bracing for intensified Russian air attacks as a severe cold spell grips the country, Zelensky said on Thursday.
"There is information that there could be another massive Russian attack tonight," Zelensky warned in his nightly video address from Kiev, as he urged citizens to heed air raid sirens and seek shelter.
Source: Qatar Tribune
