Russian missiles and drones poured down on Ukrainian cities this week, striking power plants and electrical stations and causing almost 30% of the nation's energy infrastructure to be damaged. As a result, Ukrainian citizens are preparing for a rough winter.
While requesting that people minimize their use of power appliances like ovens, washing machines, and kettles during periods of high usage, the government is advising citizens to stock up on warm clothing, candles, flashlights, and batteries. Additionally, it has requested that companies stop using outdoor advertising, and in the upcoming months, residences should only be heated to a maximum of 18 degrees Celsius.
The administration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that millions of people now had access to electricity, but warned Ukrainians to brace themselves for additional blackouts and urged them to reduce their electricity use wherever feasible.
"It is important to understand that Russian terrorists will try to use the cold as their weapon," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. "In their sick imagination, Ukrainians sitting for several hours without electricity is a victory. They think that this way they will force us to surrender. This will not happen."
Over the course of three days this week, Russian missiles and drones attacked Ukrainian targets 128 times, damaging 28 energy plants, according to the Ukrainian government. Moscow has denied that it has targeted people. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Zelenskyy adviser, claimed that the government had made preparations for attacks on vital infrastructure and that these efforts, along with a call for citizens to use less electricity, helped to keep the power grid from overloading.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that more than 4,000 towns and villages now have power after the strikes, but he issued a dire warning about the coming months. The government advises residents to stock up on warm clothing, candles, flashlights, and batteries while requesting that they avoid using energy-hungry appliances like ovens, washing machines, or kettles during periods of high demand.
In case residents have heating problems at home, the authorities also want to put up mobile heating stations in the streets, and they have created evacuation routes in case important energy facilities are attacked. The authorities are distributing free firewood in the Kharkiv area close to the eastern frontline.
Following the Russian airstrikes, the West renewed its commitment to providing Ukraine with more arms, particularly advanced air defense systems. However, the global supply of the Russian-style weapons that Kyiv's force is trained to deploy is running low.
