Following massive Russian strikes on Ukraine as the tension between the two countries continues to escalate, almost half a million homes in Kyiv were without electricity on Friday, Al Jazeera reported citing Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko.
"4,50,000 consumers, that is households in Kyiv, are out of power this morning. It is one and a half times more than the recent days," Klitschko said on Telegram, as he condemned the Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilians.
Moreover, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attacks infrastructure in the regions of Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia leaving numerous locals without electricity with about 4.5 million Ukrainian consumers dealing with massive power outages as of Thursday evening, Al Jazeera reported.
"The fact that Russia has resorted to terror against the energy sector indicates the enemy's weakness. They cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield and therefore they are trying to break our people in this way," Zelensky said.
Ukraine is under massive blackouts and the residents are under severe water shortages as one of the strikes hit an energy facility that powered 350,000 apartments in the capital, CNN reported citing Klitschko who further added that emergency services are making every effort to stabilize the situation.
Moreover, strikes were also reported in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia as well. Power outages caused by Russian attacks continued in Kyiv over the weekend. Klitschko said earlier it will take weeks to repair electrical systems.
Ukrainian officials believe Russia's countrywide drone and cruise missile attacks are being carefully orchestrated to target important infrastructure as Ukraine heads into winter, reported CNN. By hitting thermal power stations, electricity substations, transformers, and pipelines, Russian forces have been directly impacting Ukrainians' ability to access power, water, and the internet.
Russia suspended its participation in an UN-brokered grain deal viewed as key to addressing the global food shortage, according to the country's defence ministry.
Moscow announced it was leaving the deal after blaming Ukraine for a drone attack on Crimea Saturday. Kyiv accused Russia of inventing "fictitious terrorist attacks" and using the deal as "blackmail."
By Sunday, more than 200 vessels had been blocked from making shipments, Ukraine said. A growing number of Kyiv's allies condemned Moscow's move.
( With inputs from ANI )
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