Ukraine speaks of risk of blackouts until the end of winter and promotes internal displacement

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Ukraine will have to live with blackouts at least until the end of March, when winter ends in the northern hemisphere, according to the head of the main private electricity supplier there. With the season approaching, the country is already facing lower temperatures and saw snow fall for the first time last week, amid still intense battles in the war.

The increased risk of running out of energy and gas for residential heating in certain regions —like Kherson, recently reconquered by the Ukrainians after a retreat by Russian forces— led Kiev to offer internal displacements.

In his daily nocturnal address, President Volodymir Zelenskiy again said that half of the country’s infrastructure in the sector was destroyed by attacks from Moscow, leaving millions of people without electricity and without water; its supply in many places relies on pumping stations that run on electricity.

Serguei Kovalenko, head of the Yasno dealership, said that employees are rushing to complete repair work until the official start of winter. “But I want everyone to understand: Ukrainians will most likely live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” he wrote on social media.

Temperatures in some regions of Ukraine have already dropped below freezing, including in the capital Kiev. Kovalenko said the country must be prepared for all options, including long power cuts. “Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think of options that will help you get through a long outage,” he said.

Blackouts planned for restoration of energy infrastructure have occurred almost daily in the country – Ukrenergo, the Ukrainian energy company, has already reported that new blackouts are expected to occur this Tuesday (22). Other distribution restrictions were imposed on Monday and another 950,000 people were left without power. In all, approximately 10 million people were impacted.

To mitigate the impacts, the government started to offer Kherson residents free internal displacement services to more preserved regions and where security and heating are considered less serious problems. There is also the possibility of accommodation upon registration —people considered vulnerable have priority.

Russia’s strategy of destroying its neighbor’s energy infrastructure was intensified after setbacks on the battlefields and in response to the explosion on the bridge connecting Russian territory to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by the Kremlin in 2014.

In Kherson, witnesses reported that Russian troops destroyed power infrastructure before leaving the city earlier this month. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Russia’s blackouts and attacks on civilian infrastructure were consequences of Kiev’s refusal to negotiate.

According to Zelenki, the most impacted regions are Odessa, Vinnitsia, Sumi and Kiev. “The systematic damage to our energy system caused by Russian terrorist attacks is so considerable that all our employees and companies must be alert and redistribute consumption throughout the day”, he guided.

Also on Monday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podoliak said Russia was bombing Kherson across the Dnipro River, an area that was abandoned by the Russians. “There is no military logic: they just want to take revenge on local residents,” he wrote.

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