Millions Of Ukrainians Suffer In Cold, Darkness As Russia Knocks Out Power And Water Supply

In Kyiv's most extensive outages in nine months of war, millions of Ukrainians were plunged into darkness and cold as Russia unleashed a new missile onslaught on Wednesday. It robbed cities of power and some of water and public transport, too, compounding the hardship of winter for millions.

Reuters

25% still living without power

The aerial mauling of power supplies also took nuclear plants and internet links offline and spilled blackouts into neighbour Moldova. Even as power is gradually being restored to Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv on Thursday, regional authorities said 25% of homes were still without electricity. However, the water supply had been restored in some areas and would start working in other regions later Thursday.

"Let's persevere, despite everything", the Kyiv regional military administration said in a statement.

AP

'It's gradually returning'

Energy Minister German Galushchenko said three nuclear power stations that were switched off because of the attacks on Wednesday were expected to be back online later on Thursday, and this would help ease supply problems.

"The situation is difficult throughout the country," he said in televised comments but added that the national energy system had been "reunited" following damage during the missile strikes and power generation would increase throughout Thursday.

Reuters

Grid operator Ukrenergo said Thursday that the "specifics of the attacks", which it said targeted mainly generation facilities, meant that power was being returned more slowly than during previous waves of strikes. But it added that all power facilities gradually returned to service, with nuclear plants taking the longest.

Kyiv, one of the main targets of attack

Kyiv was one of the main targets of Wednesday's attacks on energy facilities that cut power in many regions and made emergency blackouts necessary in others to conserve energy and enable repairs as winter sets in. The temperature plunged below zero degrees Celsius overnight in a city that had 2.8 million residents before the war and where it has already snowed and the streets are icy.

Reuters

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy chief of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's staff, said power supplies had been restored in the Kirovohrad and Vinnytsia regions. Power was also largely back in the northern region of Sumy, and 3,000 miners who had been trapped underground during a power outage had been brought to the surface in central Ukraine, regional officials said.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.