Snow is falling in Kiev and the temperature is hovering around zero today, as millions of residents of the Ukrainian capital and its suburbs try to cope with power and central heating cuts caused by Russian airstrikes.
The cold weather is gradually increasing the energy needs of consumers and workers are battling against time to repair damaged energy infrastructure, grid operator Ukrenergo said. Power generators cannot yet fully power the grid after Russia's missile attacks last Wednesday and have no choice but to save energy by imposing power cuts, it added.
"The consumption curtailment regime remains in place due to the shortfall, which is around 20%," Ukrenergo said in a Telegram post.
Moscow has targeted vital infrastructure in recent weeks, resulting in widespread blackouts. Last Wednesday's attacks caused the worst damage to date, leaving millions of people without light, water or heating while the mercury has dropped below 0 degrees Celsius.
David Arahamiya, the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's party, predicted that Russia would launch new attacks on infrastructure this week which is expected to be "really difficult."
On Saturday night Zelensky said there were restrictions on electricity use in 14 of Ukraine's 27 regions - including Kiev and its environs. These restrictions affect more than 100,000 consumers in each region. "If consumption increases at night, the number of power cuts may increase," he said in his daily address, reiterating his call for citizens to save energy."
Meteorologists predict that snowfall in Kiev will continue until mid-week while temperatures will remain at very low levels.
Four hours of power a day
Sergei Kovalenko, the head of YASNO, the company that supplies Kiev with electricity, said Saturday that the situation in the city had improved but remained "quite difficult." He explained that residents should have power for at least four hours a day. "If you did not have power for at least four hours yesterday, contact the Kyiv DTEK power network, colleagues will help you find out what the problem is," he wrote on his Facebook page."
YASNO is the retail branch of DTEK, the largest private power company.
Ukrenergo warned that the blackouts would continue and urged consumers to limit their energy use.
"We want to remind you that now, every Ukrainian in whose home electricity was restored can help restore it for others faster, simply by consuming electricity sparingly," the company said."
Source: APE-MPA
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