1,000+ Ukrainian towns in dark after winter storm
A brutal winter storm swept across Ukraine on Tuesday, plunging over 1,000 towns and villages in nine regions into darkness, as reported by Reuters.
The outages exposed the vulnerabilities of the war-torn nation's power grid, already strained by previous Russian attacks.
"With temperatures plummeting to as low as -15°C in many areas, electricity consumption reached its highest levels this week," explained grid operator Ukrenergo. "By morning, demand had already surged 5.8% compared to the previous day."
Compounding the woes, the storm unleashed strong winds, ice, and thick frost, creating perilous conditions for repair crews. "Adverse weather conditions, including ice and icing on equipment, caused power cuts in 1,025 localities as of this morning," Ukrenergo stated via Telegram.
Vitalii Kim, governor of the hard-hit Mykolaiv region, described the severity of the situation: "Ice on power lines exceeded 5 cm in thickness."
With the grid operating at its peak, Ukrenergo appealed to citizens for their cooperation. "We urge residents to conserve electricity and avoid using multiple appliances simultaneously to help stabilise the system," the operator pleaded.
This icy onslaught serves as a stark reminder of last winter's relentless Russian attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure. Thousands of missiles and drones rained down, leaving millions reliant on generators and facing extended blackouts.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
