As the second winter of war approaches, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin (70) is creating icy facts in Ukraine. According to information from Kiev, heavy Russian airstrikes have hit about 30 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since Monday. It was the first time since the start of the war in late February that Russia “dramatically attacked energy infrastructure,” Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, 49, told US broadcaster CNN on Tuesday.
In the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the temperature sometimes drops below five degrees at night, in Donetsk, the capital of the separatist oblast of the same name, the night temperature is currently only two degrees – and with the power cuts caused by the Russian shelling of power plants, that’s for the Ukrainians.
German Eastern Europe researcher Andreas Umland (45) explains to “Bild”: “What we see is a strategy to achieve a peace dictated by Russia and avoid another winter war.” In this way, Putin wants to force the Ukrainian people “to get their own government to give in”, according to the expert.
Selenski calls for energy savings
Umland sums up Putin’s thoughts: “Either you give up the areas we have annexed, or we bomb you to death.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) is already calling on the Ukrainian population to pay attention to electricity consumption and reduce consumption, especially during peak loads in the evening, so as not to overload the electricity grid.
A member of the Kremlin’s Council for Inter-ethnic Relations, Bogdan Bezpalko, confirmed this suspicion on Russian television on Tuesday: “We must destroy the entire infrastructure of Ukraine – all power plants, all power lines, all railway nodes. Then Ukraine will sink into cold and darkness.” This is the only way to ensure that the Ukrainians can no longer supply their troops on the fronts.
Ukraine calls for air defense systems again
Another reason for the attacks, Halushchenko noted, was that Ukraine’s electricity exports would help European countries use less Russian gas and coal. The Ukrainian energy system is “still stable”. However, he called on other countries to “provide air defense systems that could really help us protect our infrastructure”.
Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko (51) also asked for such systems, as he said “Bild”. “We are fighting to ensure that we can also provide people with electricity, water and heating in the winter.” According to Klitschko, there is a danger that Kiev and other cities will be without heating and heating in the winter. The former world boxing champion told the newspaper: «The risk comes from the rocket attacks. That’s why we ask our partners for special missile defense systems.” (chs/SDA)