The Guardian newspaper reported that Ukrainians are facing widespread power outages in their country as Russia continues to bombard vital infrastructure over the weekend, intensifying its attacks on the energy network in recent months.
The British newspaper quoted a statement from the Ukrainian Energy Ministry indicating that Ukrainian energy facilities were subjected to a massive attack from Russia on Saturday evening, resulting in injuries to workers due to the bombing of one facility, and that "the energy sector is in a very difficult situation."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier stated this month that Russia has damaged or destroyed more than half of Ukraine's power stations, causing the worst power outage since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
In his address, Zelensky urged Western allies of Ukraine to expedite the delivery of air defenses, stating: "Modern air defense systems for Ukraine, such as Patriot missiles, rapid training of our pilots on F-16 aircraft, and most importantly, sufficient range for our weapons, are truly necessary."
Ukraine began implementing frequent power outages on May 15, disconnecting entire areas in the capital from the electricity grid to conserve energy, and Ukraine possesses at least four Patriot systems provided by the United States and Germany.
Since Zelensky made repeated appeals for additional defensive weapons, Germany, Romania, and the United States have pledged to send a Patriot system to Kyiv, and the Netherlands also announced two days ago that they will collaborate with another unnamed country to provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot missile system, increasing the total number of Patriot missiles to seven, a number Zelensky deemed necessary "to secure our major urban centers" against Russian missile attacks.
Until these supplies arrive, systematic attacks on the energy infrastructure in the country are expected to continue, forcing residents of Kyiv to adapt. Oleksandr Babych, a 34-year-old IT worker, stated: "I can no longer work from my office. Now I roam from one café to another trying to find a quiet place with electricity. At night, I light candles. Russia is trying to take us back to the Stone Age."
Restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers have invested in generators, making their constant loud buzzing a constant presence in the capital. Babych noted that while the long summer days make the situation somewhat bearable, many fear the upcoming cold winter months when demand for electricity will rise.
Serhiy Kovalenko, CEO of Yasno Energy Company, stated last week that Ukrainians may only have electricity for six or seven hours a day in winter if the electricity deficit remains at 35%.
