Electricity restored to 9 mn Ukrainians : Volodymyr Zelenksy

Kiev : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy announced that nine million citizens have had their electricity supply restored after a large-scale Russian missile attack on December 16. In his Sunday evening address to the nation, the President said: “There are new results in bringing electricity and heating back to our people.

“Another three million Ukrainians have had their energy supply restored. Plus six million yesterday (Saturday). That is, after the terrorist attack on Friday (December 16), there is already a result for nine million of our people.

“In most cities, public transport is also resuming normal operations.” Zelensky also went on to thank “everyone who carries out repair works in any weather and around the clock, as well as partners who help Ukraine with equipment, and businesses that turn their shops, cafes, enterprises into new Invincibility centres”, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.

On December 16, Russians fired 70 cruise missiles and four guided air-launched missiles, of which 60 were shot down by Ukrainian air defence forces. Several energy infrastructure facilities and residential buildings were damaged in Zhytomyr, Kiev, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions as a result of the strikes.

The next day, Zelensky had said that electricity had been restored for almost six million Ukrainians, but there were still major problems with the water supply. Russia has launched more than 1,000 missiles and Iranian-made attack drones since the wave of strikes began on October 10, although most of them have been intercepted by air defences. The biggest barrage, in mid-November, involved more than 100 missiles and drones.