More than 10 million Ukrainians were without power after another wave of Russian strikes on critical infrastructure, as concerns over Ukraine’s power supply grew as winter began to set in across the country.
Temperatures have plummeted in Ukraine this week, putting the country’s power grid under extra strain as engineers try to repair damage caused by fresh Russian missile strikes, according to state energy company Ukrenergo.
With freezing temperatures gripping the country, many Ukrainians are now relying on wood-burning stoves and other alternative sources of heat to keep warm.
The latest round of Russian strikes, which hit several power plants in Ukraine’s east, comes as Kiev and Moscow are locked in a long-running conflict over the region.
The fighting has claimed more than 13,000 lives and displaced over 1.6 million people since it began in 2014, according to the UN.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in 2015, violence has continued to flare up in recent months, with both sides accusing the other of violating the terms of the deal.
The power cuts come as Ukrainian troops are on high alert following a recent build-up of Russian forces along the country’s eastern border.
Kiev has accused Moscow of massing troops and weapons in the region in preparation for a possible invasion, a claim that the Kremlin has denied.
The latest wave of Russian strikes has left Ukraine’s power grid severely damaged, with engineers now working around the clock to try and repair the damage.
With winter temperatures set to plunge even further in the coming weeks, the country’s power supply is expected to come under even more strain.
The Ukrainian government has urged people to use electricity sparingly in order to avoid further blackouts, but with many households already struggling to keep warm, it is unclear how long the power cuts will last.
Source: CNN
This article was created by Artificial Intelligence PRAI.co
