Ukraine's energy grid on the verge of collapse due to massive Russian attacks - media
Kyiv • UNN
Massive Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure threaten a complete power outage, especially in the east of the country.
A wave of massive Russian attacks is pushing Ukraine's energy grid to the brink of collapse, as Moscow seeks to demoralize the country and the White House pressures Kyiv to sign a peace agreement. The Washington Post writes about this, citing officials and analysts familiar with the situation, UNN reports.
Details
A series of Russian drone and missile strikes on energy infrastructure began in October and has since led to severe power outages across Ukraine as winter cold sets in.
The strikes threaten to completely disable power transmission systems from the west — where most of Ukraine's electricity is currently generated — to the east, effectively dividing the country in two, several people familiar with the crisis said.
"We are, if not on the verge" of a complete power outage in the east of the country, "then very close to it," said a senior European diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Experts agree that it is virtually impossible to accurately predict how many attacks Russia will need to achieve the goal of a complete power outage in part of the country, including Kyiv, as this will depend on which targets are hit and whether Ukraine has backup supplies for a quick recovery.
However, Ukraine, which has long suffered from energy attacks, is certainly in one of its worst positions. The bombing campaign has also weakened already limited air defense capabilities, revealing serious vulnerabilities that could complicate the defense of the remaining part of the energy system, the publication adds.
In Kyiv, residents already spend up to 16 hours a day without electricity, and businesses operate mainly on generators.
The publication notes that one of the solutions proposed by Kyiv could be an energy truce, under which Russia would stop attacks on energy infrastructure, and Ukraine would stop long-range attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure. On Thursday and Friday, Ukrainian security services said that Ukrainian drones attacked and disabled a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea.
However, Moscow said last week that it was not ready to consider such a measure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is working on "peace, not a ceasefire."
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that he was "ready" for an energy truce, but that "the United States believes that we are close to an agreement" that, once implemented, could lay the groundwork for a full ceasefire.
While hours-long power outages, dark streets, and the roar of diesel generators are common in wartime Kyiv, this winter the attacks seem more frequent and targeted.