Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv is in survival mode after a brutal series of Russian airstrikes left most citizens without electricity, running water or both.
About 70% of the city was without power Thursday morning after Russia’s latest missile barrage, authorities said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the restoration process is continuing in the capital and other affected areas and that officials are focused on “gradually restoring electricity, heat, water supply and communications.”
People walk in the center of the city which was left without power after yesterday’s Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, November 24, 2022.
(AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
“The most difficult situation is in the Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Poltava and Kharkiv regions. But along with supplying electricity to critical infrastructure, we also provide water and heat,” Zelenskyy said during his evening speech.
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He also said that areas that suffered complete blackouts when Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure are getting power back.
“Every hour we restore power to new consumers,” he said. “Energy workers, utility workers, companies – everyone is doing their part to bring light back. This is truly a national task – Ukraine is working as unitedly as possible on this.”
People collect water in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
(AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Residents have been forced to seek shelter and warmth wherever they can, including restaurants and facilities that were unscathed by the attack.
Oleksiy Rashchupkin, a 39-year-old Kyiv resident, said he lost power in the attack but was able to find a cafe that was open with electricity.
“I’m here because there is heat, coffee and light,” he told the Associated Press. “Here is life.”
In Kyiv, where some residents have been forced to use buckets to collect drinkable rainwater, the coming winter months present a whole new challenge, but their determination is unquestionable.
Ukrainians say Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attacks will not break them.
“No one will compromise their will and their principles just for electricity,” said Alina Dubeiko, 34, who also had no electricity, heating or water in her home.
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While the Russian invasion crossed the nine-month mark on Thursday, Dubeiko said he would rather remain without power than have to live under Russian rule.
“Without light nor you [Putin]? Without you,” he said, echoing comments Zelenskky made on October 10, when the missile barrages began.
A woman walks in the center of the city that was left without power after yesterday’s Russian rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, November 24, 2022.
(AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
As Kyiv recovers, other cities, especially Kherson, have come under the heaviest shelling since Ukrainian forces recaptured it two weeks ago.
The Russian missile attack on the city left at least five dead.
Nighttime attacks on the outskirts of the city of Zaporizhzhia destroyed a Ukrainian maternity hospital and killed a two-day-old baby, authorities said.
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“At night, Russian monsters launched huge rockets at the small maternity ward of the Vilniansk hospital. Grief overwhelms our hearts: a baby who had just seen the light of day died. Rescuers are working on the scene,” he said. Governor Oleksandr Starukh. he said on Telegram on Thursday.
Russia’s attacks continue to cause blackouts across the country, though it claims it is targeting key infrastructure that enables the Ukrainian military. However, Ukrainian officials say that Russia’s attacks have caused innumerable damage to civilian areas, including houses, roads, hospitals and schools.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
