Despite repair work on the power grid, which was severely damaged by Russian attacks, around nine million people in Ukraine are still without electricity. “But the number and duration of power outages is steadily decreasing,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his daily video address yesterday. But there are still many deficits in the power supply.
Important decisions were made during his consultations with government representatives on the situation in the energy and infrastructure sectors. “We are preparing for next year, not just for the winter months,” said Zelenskyy. “There are steps that need to be taken, and the state will definitely take them.” The president did not give any details.
Prepare for new attacks
At the same time, Zelenskyy warned of possible new Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy grid. “The air defenses are preparing, the state is preparing and everyone must prepare,” he said.
The Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko also fears a major Russian attack with rockets and cruise missiles on New Year’s Eve. “The Russians have not renounced attacks against our energy grid,” he said on Ukrainian television today. The power grid is currently being repaired quickly in order to give the Ukrainians uninterrupted New Year celebrations. The prerequisite, however, is that there are no new Russian attacks.
The Russian military has repeatedly attacked the Ukrainian energy grid with cruise missiles, rockets and drones for weeks. The aim is to put the population under pressure in the middle of winter with the failure of the electricity and water supply.