Ukraine’s Zelensky accuses Russia of ‘energy terrorism’ amid infrastructure attacks – National

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of being involved in “energy terrorism” after a Russian attack on Ukrainian energy networks left millions of residents without electricity.

About 4.5 million people nationwide are without electricity, Zelensky said in a speech Thursday night. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 450,000 apartments were empty on Friday in the capital alone.

“I appeal to all residents of the capital to save electricity as much as possible as the situation remains difficult!” the mayor wrote in the telegram. State-owned power grid operator Uklenergo reported on Friday that there would be an emergency blackout across Kyiv.

Russia has carried out missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian power installations, especially in recent weeks. In his speech, Zelensky explained that targeting energy infrastructure is a sign of weakness.

“The very fact that Russia resorts to energy terrorism shows the weakness of our adversaries,” he said. “They cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, so they are trying to break our people in this way.”

Zelensky said shortly after Moscow-appointed authorities in the occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine said it was likely that Russian troops would leave the city of Kherson — Ukrainian officials met with skepticism.

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The Kremlin-installed regional administration has already forced tens of thousands of civilians out of the city, citing the threat of increased artillery fire as Ukrainian forces pursue a counterattack to retake the region. Authorities removed the Russian flag from the Kherson administration building on Thursday, a week after the local government moved.

Natalia Khmenyuk, a military spokeswoman for southern Ukraine, said the removal of the flag could be a ruse and “should not be rushed into joy.” She told Ukrainian television that some Russian soldiers were disguised as civilians.

Neither side’s claims could be independently verified.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials reported shooting down a drone launched by Russian forces. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Valentin Reznichenko said eight drones were shot down in the Nikopol region and were also hit by artillery fire. Governor Maksim Kozytsky said another drone was shot down in western Lviv.

A local Ukrainian official said Russian forces had shelled the Mykolaiv region in the south and the Kharkov region in the northeast overnight, but no casualties were reported.

Ukrainian military commander Valery Zaruzhny said on Thursday night that Russian forces had “tripled the intensity of hostilities in certain areas of the front” and carried out “up to 80 attacks daily”. said.

© 2022 The Canadian Press