Ukraine has ordered a partial power cuts and Ukrainians have been asked to switch off their power between 7am today to 11 pm this evening as Russian airstrikes continue to pound the country.
The move comes as Ukraine’s energy minister warned that the country is facing an imminent energy crisis, with Russia’s strikes destroying power lines and leaving many parts of the country without power.
Ukraine’s national grid operator has said that the power cuts are limited to Thursday but more restrictions and power cuts may be needed with winter approaching.
In the meantime, Ukrainians have been asked to use power sparingly and conserve energy as much as possible.
The country is also facing a fuel crisis, with many petrol stations running low on supplies.
The energy crisis comes as a result of Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine, which began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and has since escalated into a full-blown conflict in the country’s east.
For many Ukrainians the war which is now in its eighth month has meant living without power heat or running water, as well as dealing with the constant threat of shelling and airstrikes.
The conflict has also had a devastating effect on Ukraine’s economy, with the country’s currency, the hryvnia, losing 25 percent of its value since the start of the war.
In recent days however the Ukraine army has been making significant gains in Kherson with a Russian general admitting that the situation in Kherson is ‘tense’ and that the Ukrainian army is putting up a ‘stiff fight’.
On 30 September, Russia unilaterally declared its annexation of four Ukrainian regions. Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaphorizhzhia and Kherson. A move that was widely condemned by the international community.
Despite this, Russia’s airstrikes continue and the country is now facing an energy crisis which could have a devastating effect on the already war-torn nation.
And with no end in sight to the conflict, the economic and energy woes are likely to continue for Ukraine in the months and years ahead.
