Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed yesterday on Twitter that Russian attacks in recent days have destroyed 30% of Ukraine’s power plants, with authorities counting more than a thousand localities without power. “The situation is critical across the country. It is necessary that everyone prepares for power, water and heating shortages”, warned on state television the number two in the president’s office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
The attacks began on the 10th, in response to the explosion that damaged part of the Crimean bridge and which Moscow blamed on Ukrainian secret services. Yesterday, early-morning attacks hit Kiev, Kharkiv, Mykolayv, Dnipro and Zhytomyr. According to the authorities, the more than 190 attacks with missiles, kamikaze drones (they are single-use, carrying an explosive charge that detonates on impact) and artillery in 16 regions of Ukraine and in the capital caused the death of more than 70 people and reached 380 buildings, including “critical infrastructure”, leaving 1162 locations without electricity.
Zelensky calls the repeated attacks on energy infrastructure “another type of Russian terrorist attack”, arguing that “there is no room to negotiate with the Putin regime”. His adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, claimed that “Russia hates modern civilization and wants to create a zone of cold, hunger and barbarism”, hence “it systematically tries to destroy Ukraine’s infrastructure by attacking cities and civilians”. This official argues that the solution involves more air defense means, which Kiev has been asking its Western allies for.
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