Ukraine’s defenses can’t fully prevent Russian attacks on energy sites, Maryana Bezuglaya has said, warning of severe power outages
The Ukrainian military is incapable of fully blunting Russian strikes on Kiev’s energy infrastructure, making blackouts all but certain, a senior Ukrainian lawmaker has warned, urging citizens to consider temporarily moving out of the city in the coming months.
On Friday, Maryana Bezuglaya weighed in on the recent wave of devastating Russian strikes, which Ukrainian officials said caused massive power outages in Kiev.
“Regardless of the protection and air defense, Russia can destroy almost any critical infrastructure facility in Ukraine at will. The only question is the number of missiles and drones,” she said, adding that if a single power plant is hammered by dozens of strikes, it would almost certainly be crippled.
Bezuglaya recalled her warning in the late summer when she said that “the winter would be difficult, and there would be blackouts.” She urged Ukrainians to be realistic about the challenges ahead, stock up on essentials, and support each other during the crisis.
“The best thing is to consider temporarily moving out of the city this fall and winter. This especially applies to Kiev residents. Kiev is a strategic and symbolic target. It is possible that it will be completely ‘drained down’. Darkness without sewage and water supply in mid-winter,” the MP said.
On Friday, local authorities reported that Russian strikes had hit Kiev’s left bank particularly hard, with many areas experiencing blackouts and water supply problems, with similar issues recorded in the rest of the capital.
Media reports indicated that several strikes affected Kiev’s Thermal Power Plant No. 6, one of the city’s key electricity suppliers. According to some estimates, over the last ten days, a total of 63 energy facilities across the country have come under attack.
On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that its forces had launched a massive strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, stating that “all designated targets were hit.”
It stressed that the attack came in response to “terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime on civilian sites in Russia.” Moscow also maintains that its strikes never target civilians.
