Ukrainians face power outages in multiple regions due to Russian attacks

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukraine’s sole power grid operator announced on Wednesday that power outages were implemented in multiple regions as it prepares to stabilize the energy supply damaged by recent Russian drone and missile attacks.

Ukrenergo said in a statement that people in the capital Kyiv, as well as Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions were without power as of 6 a.m. local time.

Consumption restrictions are necessary to reduce the load on the grid, ensure sustainable balancing of the power grid and avoid repeated accidents, it added.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a meeting with EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson on Tuesday that 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been seriously damaged since Russia launched its "special military operation" in February.

The recent escalation is seen as an apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea fleet, and on the bridge linking Crimea to Russia.

"Unfortunately, due to the strikes of missiles and kamikaze drones by the Russian Federation on our energy system, we have suspended this process,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Ukraine's export of electricity to Europe.

Kyiv said on Oct. 20 that it would cut energy consumption across the country by 20% due to lower output from damaged energy facilities.