The head of Ukraine's power network on Friday warned of power disruptions lasting several hours as Russian forces bombarded Ukraine's electric grid, interrupting supplies to 40% of the country's citizens as the winter season begins.
Cold weather puts extra strain on power grids, hence operator Ukrenergo warned that disruptions might linger for hours, according to a report from AP News.
Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, CEO of Ukrenergo, advised Ukrainians to prepare for the worst as Russian troops continue to ravage the country's electric grid. He noted the "need to prepare for possible long outages," although they are already preparing a schedule of interruptions and will ensure that the outages won't last very long.
Russia's Continued Attacks on Ukraine's Power Infrastructure Puts Millions At Risk This Winter
Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, recently spoke to the Associated Press about the city's severe electricity shortage. Half the city's population, or around 1.5 million to 2 million people, are left in the dark while power is shifted from one area to another.
Klitschko remarked that Russian President Vladimir Putin's military tries to drive Ukrainians into "depression," which is a wrong move. He said that instead of being depressed and scared, Ukrainians get "really angry."
According to governor Oleh Syniehubov, the energy infrastructure in the northeastern Kharkiv region was hit by bombardment and airstrikes during the night. He stated that eight individuals, including utility workers and police officers, were hurt while clearing the scene.
Russian aggression on Ukrainian electricity and energy infrastructure has raised concerns about the upcoming cold season.
Russia launched a statewide bombardment of over 100 missiles and drones on Monday, cutting power to 10 million people in Ukraine. On Thursday, the country's energy infrastructure was attacked again.
In other updates, per ABC News, President Vladimir Putin was noticeably absent from a televised address in which Russia's top military command decided to pull troops out of the key city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
On November 9, Putin was touring a neurological hospital in Moscow and watching a surgeon conduct brain surgery as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Sergei Surovikin, Russia's top commander in Ukraine, awkwardly reiterated the justifications for the pullback in front of the cameras.
Putin later that day addressed another occasion but didn't mention the Kherson retreat, Russia's most humiliating in Ukraine. He hasn't addressed the issue in the media since then.
Putin has been silent despite escalating losses for Russia after nearly nine months of conflict. During the coronavirus outbreak, the Russian leader appeared to have delegated the imparting of unpleasant news to others.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine and quickly took control of Kherson. For several months, Russia controlled the city and much of the surrounding territory, blocking access to the rest of the Crimean Peninsula.
Putin No-Show at APEC Summit in Bangkok
Vladimir Putin was also absent at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok, Thailand. According to DW, Putin was supposed to fly into Bangkok yesterday for a regional conference, but he canceled last week due to a hectic schedule.
Andrei Belousov, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister, flew into Bangkok on Thursday to represent his country at the APEC summit.
Vladimir Putin also missed an opportunity to speak with international leaders, including the chief executives of the United States and China, and other top officials this week when he skipped out on attending the annual G20 summit in Indonesia.
