Zelenskyy demands faster energy imports as Ukraine reels from power outages

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said imports of electricity and additional power equipment must be accelerated as Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure have left the country reeling from its worst wartime energy crisis. In a social media post on Saturday, Zelenskyy said the capital Kyiv and the Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions were particularly hard-hit by power outages linked to the intensified Russian strikes."

"We need to accelerate as much as possible the increase in electricity imports and the provision of additional equipment from partners, he said. All decisions for this are already in place, and the increase in imports must proceed without delay. The Ukrainian government has declared an energy emergency as the damaged power grid is meeting only 60 percent of the country's electricity needs. The situation has also been exacerbated by exceptionally cold temperatures, leaving families across Ukraine struggling to stay warm."

Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left thousands without power amid freezing winter temperatures. The capital Kyiv and the Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions experienced heavy outages linked to intensified strikes. The government declared an energy emergency as the damaged power grid meets only 60 percent of national electricity needs. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for rapid increases in electricity imports and delivery of additional equipment from partners, with decisions already in place. Exceptionally cold temperatures have exacerbated hardship, leaving families struggling to stay warm. The United Nations and NATO warned that the attacks cause severe human suffering, with children and the elderly most vulnerable.

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