The national energy provider of Ukraine has warned its citizens to “charge everything” by Thursday at 07:00 (04:00 GMT) because of anticipated power outages caused by Russian missile strikes.
Russian missiles again struck energy facilities on Wednesday, as part of a spate of such attacks since 10 October.
On Thursday, power outages lasting up to four hours would affect the entire nation, according to grid operator Ukrenergo.
It comes as Russia announces martial law in annexed regions of Ukraine.
Enhanced security measures have also been implemented in Russia, primarily along the border with Ukraine.
Ukrenergo has urged Ukrainians to stock up on water and ensure they have “warm socks, blankets, and embraces for family” in preparation for the blackouts.
It suggested that phones, power banks, flashlights, and batteries be charged.
The energy minister’s adviser, Oleksandr Kharchenko, estimates that as much as 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been severely damaged.
Wednesday saw the destruction of three energy plants, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, and energy businesses are ready for “all possible winter scenarios.” He was scheduled to speak at a gathering of EU leaders attempting to strike an agreement on lowering gas costs.
Power plants in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine, and Burshtyn, in the west, were severely damaged. Ukrenergo reported that since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, there have been more attacks in the past ten days than in the entire period prior.
Ukrenergo stated it will implement “managed, calculated consumption restrictions” and warned that power outages could occur across Ukraine between 07:00 and 23:00 local time. It recommended citizens visit the websites of regional network operators to determine how it will affect them.
Numerous regions and portions of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, have already been affected by sporadic power outages. Russian missiles have damaged infrastructure across the entirety of Ukraine, including western cities such as Lviv, which are far from combat.
Authorities have advised Ukrainians to minimize their evening electricity consumption.
Ukrenergo stated, “We cannot rule out the possibility that, as winter approaches, we will call for your assistance more frequently.”
Western politicians have decried the attacks on infrastructure.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, tweeted, “Russia’s strikes on civilian infrastructure, especially power, are war crimes.”
Men, women, and children being deprived of water, power, and warmth as winter approaches are acts of utter terror.
Martial law
Recently acquired regions of Ukraine, including Kherson and Zaporizhia in the south and Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, are now under martial law.
The Kremlin asserts that these regions are now part of Russia, a claim that has been rejected and denounced globally.
In places where martial law is in effect, security checks and movement restrictions are intensified. However, the war has already restricted the rights and liberties of occupied Ukrainians.
In addition, while it was ordered by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, the Russian military does not have complete control over these four districts, so it remains to be seen what martial law will entail in practice.
There will be new movement restrictions in places around the Ukrainian border, including Bryansk, Belgorod, and Krasnoyarsk. The same holds for Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
In Ukraine, US Vice President Joe Biden stated that Vladimir Putin was running out of options.
“It appears his only option is to brutalize Ukrainian citizens in an attempt to terrify them into capitulating,” he stated.
Russia is evacuating tens of thousands of citizens and officials nominated by Russia from the Kherson region as Ukrainian forces approach the regional capital. The west bank of the Dnieper River (named Dnipro by Ukrainians) is particularly vulnerable to Ukrainian shelling, according to Russia.
Vladimir Saldo, the regional leader selected by Moscow, stated that all Russian-assigned agencies and ministries, together with between 50,000 and 60,000 civilians, will cross the river.
However, Ukrainian officials have questioned whether significant numbers of people are being evacuated, saying that photographs of a massive crowd gathered along the river are primarily staged.
Ukraine has urged its citizens to disregard the Russian action.
The removal or deportation of civilians from occupied territory by an occupying power is a war crime.
