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'Unprecedented' Power Cuts In Ukraine After Russian Strikes Damage Infrastructure

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Firefighters work to put out a fire at an energy infrastructure facility damaged by a Russian drone strike at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on October 27.
Firefighters work to put out a fire at an energy infrastructure facility damaged by a Russian drone strike at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on October 27.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says about 4 million people across Ukraine have been hit by power restrictions that Ukraine’s energy companies have been forced to impose because of damage to infrastructure caused by Russia's bombing campaign.

Zelenskiy said in his nightly address on October 28 that the areas affected include the Kyiv and Kharkiv and the regions around the two major cities.

According to U.S. intelligence, Russia will soon be able to supplement its use of Iranian suicide drones and its own cruise and ballistic missiles with powerful short-range Iranian rockets, including the Fateh-110. (file photo)
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Iranian Missiles Threaten To Boost Russia's Deadly Air Campaign In Ukraine 

Authorities in Kyiv said the cuts would have to be stepped up to "unprecedented" levels.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said the city's energy supply system on October 28 was operating in emergency mode. He said it would take two to three weeks to eliminate an electricity deficit ranging between 20 percent and 50 percent.

Earlier on October 28, the press service of the Ukrenerho national energy company said in a statement that “emergency outages” of four hours a day or more had resumed in the Kyiv region.

Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of the capital region, said on Telegram that residents could expect to see “tougher and longer” power outages compared to earlier in the war, while Oleh Synyehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine, announced that daily one-hour power outages would begin on October 31 across the province.

The measures are necessary to stabilize the power grid because Russia continues shelling Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, he said on Telegram.

Ukraine says about one-third of its power stations have been destroyed since Russia launched the first wave of targeted infrastructure strikes on October 10.

Ukraine and its allies have said many of the strikes have been carried out by drones supplied by Iran with the goal of depriving Ukrainians of heat for their homes in the coming winter.

Moscow and Tehran have denied the accusations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he demanded Iran stop sending the weapons to Russia in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart.

Kuleba said on Twitter that he “demanded Iran to immediately cease the flow of weapons to Russia used to kill civilians and destroy critical infrastructure in Ukraine” during the call on October 28 with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

As Russia Targets Ukraine's Power Grids, Volunteers Build Stoves

Volunteer workers test out a newly made stove in Ukraine's Mykolayiv region on October 24. 
1/10 Volunteer workers test out a newly made stove in Ukraine's Mykolayiv region on October 24. 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
A worker cuts steel used for the wood-burning stoves.<br /> <br /> The stoves are an initiative led by charities&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.operationaid.org/">OperationAid</a></strong>&nbsp;and 4UA to counter the impact on civilians of the massive Russian attacks on Ukraine&#39;s energy infrastructure.&nbsp;
2/10 A worker cuts steel used for the wood-burning stoves.

The stoves are an initiative led by charities OperationAid and 4UA to counter the impact on civilians of the massive Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
The aftermath of a Russian missile strike on an electric substation in Ukraine&#39;s Rivne region on October 22.<br /> <br /> Since early October, the Kremlin has begun intensively targeting Ukraine&#39;s energy network with missile and kamikaze drone strikes. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 30 percent of the country&#39;s power stations have been destroyed, resulting in blackouts across the country.&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;
3/10 The aftermath of a Russian missile strike on an electric substation in Ukraine's Rivne region on October 22.

Since early October, the Kremlin has begun intensively targeting Ukraine's energy network with missile and kamikaze drone strikes. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 30 percent of the country's power stations have been destroyed, resulting in blackouts across the country. 
 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
A volunteer from OperationAid hands out wood-burning stoves to residents at an undisclosed village in the Mykolayiv region on October 25.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> Ludvig Ramestam, one of the founders of the Swedish OperationAid charity, told RFE/RL that stoves are seen as increasingly crucial across Ukraine as Russia targets energy infrastructure. &quot;The winter is coming and I&#39;d say that only now in October we are beginning to see what will be waiting for us in Ukraine,&quot; he says.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> &nbsp;
4/10 A volunteer from OperationAid hands out wood-burning stoves to residents at an undisclosed village in the Mykolayiv region on October 25. 

Ludvig Ramestam, one of the founders of the Swedish OperationAid charity, told RFE/RL that stoves are seen as increasingly crucial across Ukraine as Russia targets energy infrastructure. "The winter is coming and I'd say that only now in October we are beginning to see what will be waiting for us in Ukraine," he says. 

 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
A local man in Prybuzke after receiving a stove.<br /> <br /> Slava, a Ukrainian volunteer for OperationAid, told RFE/RL that, while residents are happy to receive food and water, the stoves elicit a much stronger response. &quot;People... maybe cry, it&#39;s very necessary for survival now,&quot; he says.&nbsp;&nbsp;
5/10 A local man in Prybuzke after receiving a stove.

Slava, a Ukrainian volunteer for OperationAid, told RFE/RL that, while residents are happy to receive food and water, the stoves elicit a much stronger response. "People... maybe cry, it's very necessary for survival now," he says.  
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian men weld the stoves in the Mykolayiv Region.<br /> <br /> Ramestam says money for material used in the stoves comes from foreign donations, while the Ukrainian workers building the appliances &quot;do it voluntarily, just to help their country.&quot;&nbsp;
6/10 Ukrainian men weld the stoves in the Mykolayiv Region.

Ramestam says money for material used in the stoves comes from foreign donations, while the Ukrainian workers building the appliances "do it voluntarily, just to help their country." 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Residents of a village in the Mykolayiv region with stoves, water, and food delivered by volunteers.<br /> <br /> The stoves can be used for cooking, but people Reuters spoke to said they would be vital as sources of heat in underground bunkers. One local resident told Reuters: &quot;We are hiding from the shelling in the basement. And we need this&nbsp;stove&nbsp;to keep warm during winter.&rdquo;
7/10 Residents of a village in the Mykolayiv region with stoves, water, and food delivered by volunteers.

The stoves can be used for cooking, but people Reuters spoke to said they would be vital as sources of heat in underground bunkers. One local resident told Reuters: "We are hiding from the shelling in the basement. And we need this stove to keep warm during winter.”
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
The head of a local council explains how the stoves function to a resident of Prybuzke, near the front lines of the fighting.<br /> <br /> The engineering of the stoves is based on existing designs, &quot;just improved a little bit to make it easy to use and cheaper to produce,&quot; Ramestam says.&nbsp;
8/10 The head of a local council explains how the stoves function to a resident of Prybuzke, near the front lines of the fighting.

The engineering of the stoves is based on existing designs, "just improved a little bit to make it easy to use and cheaper to produce," Ramestam says. 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
A residential building in Mykolayiv that suffered a direct hit from a Russian missile attack on October 23.&nbsp;<br /> <br /> The Mykolayiv region has been hammered with long-range attacks since the Kremlin launched its invasion in February. A Russian attempt to advance west through Mykolayiv and toward Odesa was blocked by Ukrainian forces early in the invasion.&nbsp;
9/10 A residential building in Mykolayiv that suffered a direct hit from a Russian missile attack on October 23. 

The Mykolayiv region has been hammered with long-range attacks since the Kremlin launched its invasion in February. A Russian attempt to advance west through Mykolayiv and toward Odesa was blocked by Ukrainian forces early in the invasion. 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Five hundred stoves have been produced and handed out so far. Ramestam says there are plans to &quot;push the tempo&quot; and scale up production as Ukraine&#39;s harsh winter draws closer.&nbsp;
10/10 Five hundred stoves have been produced and handed out so far. Ramestam says there are plans to "push the tempo" and scale up production as Ukraine's harsh winter draws closer. 
With rolling power cuts now a daily occurrence in Ukraine, volunteer groups are handing out wood-burning stoves to villagers affected by strikes on civilian infrastructure.
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The United States announced $275 million in fresh military aid to Ukraine -- in part because of Russia's attacks on the country's civilian infrastructure.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the aid is the 24th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine since August 2021.

"The United States will continue to stand with more than 50 allies and partners in support of the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence with extraordinary courage and boundless determination," Blinken said.

The United States also is working to provide Ukraine with air-defense capabilities, he said, adding that two initial U.S. NASAM air-defense systems are ready for delivery to Ukraine next month and that the United States is working with allies and partners to enable delivery of their air-defense systems to Ukraine.

In Moscow, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting that the military had met its mobilization target of 300,000 soldiers.

The partial mobilization, which prompted some Russian men to leave the country, was announced on September 21.

According to Shoigu, 82,000 recruits are already in Ukraine, and 41,000 of them were deployed to military units. Shoigu said that no additional conscription is planned.

In his video address, Zelenskiy expressed doubt that the mobilization was truly complete, saying the poor performance of Moscow's forces meant "very soon Russia may need a new wave of people to send to the war."

With reporting by Reuters and AP
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