Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, advised people to be even more forgiving and cohesive since “the enemy really hopes to use winter against us,” The Hill reports.
Zelensky said that the next winter will be challenging because of Russia’s constant air raids on the country’s infrastructure, which has resulted in extensive power shortages in some areas.
By launching strikes on its energy infrastructure, Russia is allegedly attempting to thaw out Ukrainians, which Ukraine has charged with war crimes. Coordinated blackouts have been declared by officials as they work to fix the infrastructure that has been destroyed.
“To get through the winter, we have to be even more resilient and even more united than ever,” Zelensky said in his daily address. “There can be no internal conflicts and strife, which can weaken us all, even if someone out there thinks that somehow it will strengthen him personally.”
Last week, Zelensky and Mayor Vitali Klitschko of Kyiv got into a spat about initiatives to maintain city utilities. Blackouts will be kept to a minimum on Monday, according to Klitschko’s Telegram message from Sunday, although he stressed that the situation was still “tough”.
According to Reuters, three districts in the south and east of Ukraine were also scheduled for blackouts, according to Ukraine’s primary power supplier.
Last Monday, the United States announced intentions to provide Ukraine $53 million to assist rebuild the nation’s energy infrastructure and give Ukrainians the means to survive the winter.
