Ukrainians are preparing for the worst-case scenario and making emergency plans to leave town or stay with friends or family, as the nation braces for fresh Russian attacks on its infrastructure.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in his nightly address said that around 4.5 million consumers were already without power and that “the terrorist state” is focusing resources and efforts “for a possible repetition of mass attacks on our infrastructure.”
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He added that energy would likely be the first target, adding that for that Russia would need Iranian missiles and that they are “prepared to respond”.
This comes as Iran on Saturday, in a first acknowledged that it had supplied Moscow with the drones that the nation has been using to attack its neighbours’ power stations and civilian infrastructure. However, the nation clarified that the supply was delivered before the war.
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According to the CEO of YASNO, a significant energy provider to the capital, Sergei Kovalenko, the country faced an estimated power supply deficit of 32 per cent on Monday, which in his opinion “is a lot”.
National energy authorities have also issued warnings about planned outages as well as potential new limits in six regions of the country, including the capital and the area surrounding it, reports Reuters.
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Grid operator, Ukrenergo, estimated that electricity use would need to be reduced by 30 per cent. Schedules of planned restrictions will be in force from 6 am to sunset, it announced on its Telegram channel.
It also said that additional emergency shutdowns might be necessary to safeguard a system that had already been subjected to “massive missile attacks” recently.
