KYIV, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Power was out for roughly half of residents in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Tuesday after the latest Russian attacks on the country's energy system, the energy ministry said.
Ukraine Enacts Power-Saving Measures as Kyiv Faces Blackouts
By Yuliia Dysa and Pavel Polityuk
KYIV, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine will introduce more restrictions on power usage and will allow additional energy imports as it struggles to repair infrastructure shuttered in Russian strikes, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Tuesday.
Russian forces have sharply increased the number and intensity of attacks on Ukrainian gas and energy infrastructure in recent months, targeting both power generation facilities and electricity transmission systems.
For weeks, citizens in many Ukrainian regions have already been facing rolling blackouts and emergency power cuts. Power was out simultaneously for roughly half of the residents in the capital Kyiv on Tuesday.
"Additional lighting for buildings, streets, parks, decorative garlands, and outdoor advertising in city centres are not a priority during this difficult period for the energy sector," Svyrydenko said on X, announcing new measures to improve the situation for civilian consumers.
The list of facilities with the right to receive energy without interruptions should be further shortened.
Hospitals, schools, critical facilities, and defence industry enterprises remain the exception.
On top of that, the state companies will be able to start energy imports, Svyrydenko added.
"This will reduce the strain on Ukraine's power grid and stabilise the load during peak hours," she added.
HALF OF KYIV IN DARK
On Tuesday, the national grid operator introduced emergency power cuts in most of Ukraine's regions, scrapping power outage schedules announced the previous day and plunging cities into darkness.
"The situation in Kyiv remains one of the most difficult – currently, up to 50% of consumers in the capital are without electricity," Ukraine's energy ministry said on Telegram.
Ukraine operates three nuclear power plants, which produce more than 50% of all electricity, but the plants are forced to reduce production due to damage to power lines.
Power cuts also affect heat and water supplies.
Residents of Kyiv and the Kyiv region have been getting electricity for only about 10 hours out of 24 over the past week.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Pavel PolityukEditing by Hugh Lawson, Frances Kerry and Gareth Jones)
