Despite the efforts of Ukrainian engineers, nearly half of the inhabitants of kyiv were still without electricity on Friday in winter temperatures, two days after Russian strikes once again targeted essential infrastructure. Moscow’s strategy of bombing energy installations, followed since October against a backdrop of military setbacks, is a “war crime” for Ukraine’s Western allies and described as a “crime against humanity” by the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
The main information:
– 15 dead in a new bombardment in Kherson
– Nearly half of kyiv residents were still without electricity
– Vladimir Putin calls on mothers of Russian soldiers not to believe “lies”
15 killed in bombing in Kherson
Fifteen civilians were killed Friday in a Russian bombardment on the city of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, announced an official of the city, from where troops from Moscow withdrew recently. “Today, 15 residents of the city were killed and 35 injured, including a child,” as a result of the Russian strikes, said Galyna Lugova, head of the city’s military administration, on social networks. She said several “private homes and high-rise buildings” were damaged in the strikes.
Evacuation of patients from Kherson hospitals
“We have to endure this winter – a winter everyone will remember,” he posted on Facebook on Friday. For his part, the governor of the southern region of Kherson, Yaroslav Yanushevich, announced the evacuation of all patients from hospitals in the city of the same name, from which Moscow troops withdrew two weeks ago, due to “constant Russian shelling”.
After Wednesday’s massive strikes in Ukraine, engineers continued to repair the damage, while millions of people went without power Thursday, especially in the capital. “A third of kyiv’s homes already have heating, specialists are continuing to restore it. Half of the users are still without electricity,” said its mayor, Vitali Klitschko. “During the day, the energy companies plan to connect electricity for all users alternately,” he said, at a time when temperatures were around zero degrees and rain was part of the game. .
The Ukrainian energy system has “passed the most difficult phase”
The chairman of the board of directors of the national electricity company Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytsky, estimated that the Ukrainian energy system had now “passed the most difficult phase” after the attack. Electricity is partially restored in Ukrainian regions and “the energy system is again connected to the energy system of the European Union”, he said.
“After the Russian bombings, the energy system was torn to pieces, but it was restored in 24 hours,” said an adviser to the presidency, Mykhaïlo Podoliak. “Yes, it’s a difficult situation and yes, it can happen again. But Ukraine can deal with it,” he added on television. Faced with these massive Russian bombardments, Ukraine received anti-aircraft defense systems from the West, but it would need more to neutralize Moscow’s missiles and drones.
New British aid to Ukrainians
Visiting Ukraine on Friday, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced new aid to Ukrainians, in particular the dispatch of ambulances and “support” to “survivors of sexual violence perpetrated by the Russian army”. “The United Kingdom is with Ukraine,” said James Cleverly, whose visit comes less than a week after that of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, during which he had already promised military aid of nearly 60 million euros.
On Friday, AFP journalists saw queues of cars waiting to refuel in front of several gas stations in kyiv and the operation of mobile phone networks was still disrupted in some neighborhoods.
Putin meets soldiers’ mothers
Russia, for its part, claims to only target military infrastructure and blames the power cuts on the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense. The Kremlin assured that Ukraine could end the suffering of its people by accepting Russian demands.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met soldiers’ mothers for the first time on Friday, saying he shared their “pain” and called on them not to believe the “lies” about the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine. On the front, fighting continued in several areas. A Russian bombardment Thursday evening on Kherson left eleven dead and nearly 50 injured, according to the Ukrainian presidency.