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KYIV: Ukraine urged residents to save electricity Thursday (Dec 7) after a power plant near the front line was hit by shelling, the first such warning this winter as temperatures plunge below freezing.
Officials had warned for months Russia was planning to step up strikes on energy infrastructure after attacks on the power grid last year led to widespread blackouts.
“This afternoon, the enemy attacked one of the thermal power plants in the front-line zone. The equipment was seriously damaged as a result of shelling,” the energy ministry said.
It did not say which plant was affected but said that two of its power units had stopped working, leading to a “temporary shortage of electricity” in the grid.
“The energy ministry appeals to consumers to support power engineers by consuming electricity reasonably and economically, especially during peak load hours,” it said.
Lower temperatures, emergency repairs and a lack of solar power have also contributed to shortages, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said in a social media post.
“The government and power industry are now calling on everyone to reduce electricity consumption. Especially from 9:00am to 7:00pm,” he added.
Kyiv has been asking Western countries to bolster its air defence systems to fend off the strikes, which left millions in the dark last year.
It warned in November that it could not produce enough power to meet the demand for heating, and has had to rely on neighbouring EU countries for electricity imports.
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