Russia seeks to make Kyiv uninhabitable by attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure - NYT
Kyiv • UNN
Russia is intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro, to disable heating and electricity supply systems. The goal of these actions is to undermine the morale of the population and force Ukraine to make concessions in peace negotiations.
The Russian Federation seeks to make Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, uninhabitable. They deliberately target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, as well as residential buildings during winter frosts, with the aim of leaving people without light and heat. This is reported by UNN with reference to The New York Times.
Details
As the publication notes, just as Kyiv entered the winter cold, the Russians intensified their strikes on the city with the aim of disabling the city's heating and electricity supply systems. These attacks are intended to undermine the morale of the population and force the Ukrainian government to make concessions in peace negotiations.
This is not the first time Kyiv, a city of three million people, has experienced power outages as Russia tried and failed to freeze Ukraine's largest city. However, this year, Russian missile and drone attacks are having serious consequences. Electricity has been cut off for several days in a row. According to city authorities, about 500 apartment buildings have no heating at all.
In the first winter after the full-scale invasion in 2022, Moscow tried to disable the nationwide energy system. But Ukraine coped with the situation by redirecting electricity bypassing damaged equipment.
This year, the Russians have focused their attention on three cities - Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the consulting company "Center for Energy Industry Research," stated that the occupiers are trying to isolate these cities from the national power grid and then undermine their power plants. Shelling is repeated approximately every two weeks to prevent repairs.
They are trying to hit areas where repairs are being carried out. We have many wounded and dead energy workers.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that air defense is running out of ammunition. The biggest deficit is missiles for Patriot.
He added that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not need the population of Ukraine - he needs territory without people.
Klitschko asked residents to temporarily move to relatives in other cities, if possible, in case the situation in the capital worsens. But he is not calling for a full evacuation.
Recall
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, January 14, announced the introduction of a state of emergency in Ukraine's energy sector.
At the same time, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that currently more than 300 high-rise buildings in the capital remain without heating, and utility workers are working around the clock to restore damaged networks and provide heat through mobile boiler houses.