Ukraine said Monday it was introducing restrictions on energy consumption in at least seven regions following a series of recent Russian aerial attacks on power facilities.
“Due to the complicated situation in Ukraine’s Unified Energy System caused by previous Russian strikes, emergency power outages were implemented” across seven regions, the energy ministry said on social media.
It mainly listed territories in the centre and east of the country, including the Donetsk region where officials have urged civilians to leave over targeted attacks on the grid.
The ministry added that only industrial consumers would be subject to restrictions in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, which is partially occupied by Russian forces and is home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.
Only partial restrictions would be imposed in the Kirovograd region, it added.
The Kremlin has escalated aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities and its rail network over recent weeks, repeating its targeted bombing campaign from the previous three winters that left millions without heating in frigid temperatures.
Following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow usually claims after such attacks that it targeted energy facilities that support the Ukrainian military.
The attacks have forced energy officials to impose scheduled power outages for the civilian population to reduce pressure on the grid.
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