Kyiv, Ukraine: Millions of residents in and around the Ukrainian Capital’s metropolitan area are expected to experience heat and electricity shortages as a result of the heavy snowfall and below-freezing temperatures that are expected in Kyiv.
Grid operator Ukrenergo stated that, the electricity producers were able to cover only three-quarters of consumption needs, necessitating restrictions and blackouts across the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has regularly urged citizens to use power sparingly in his nightly video speeches, therefore restrictions on its use are still in force across 14 regions and in Kyiv. It comes after Russian forces targeted vital Power Stations around Ukraine and caused some of the worst infrastructure damage ever, depriving millions of people of heat, light, and water.
“If consumption increases in the evening, the number of outages may increase. This once again shows how important it is now to save power and consume it rationally,” Mr. Zelensky shared.
Mr. Sergey Kovalenko, Chief Operating Officer of YASNO, the Retail Branch of DTEK Ukraine’s largest private energy provider, which provides energy to Kyiv, cited that, the situation in the city has improved but still remained “quite difficult.” The Operator indicated that residents should have at least four hours of power per day. Snow is expected in Kyiv, a metropolis with 2.8 million inhabitants before the war, and temperatures are predicted to hover below zero.