Live Updates: Russia’s War in Ukraine

The second winter season of the war « will be very difficult », Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

He told a government meeting that Russia « will again bomb the energy infrastructure; its goal is to freeze Ukraine and commit another genocide of the Ukrainian people. »

Shmyhal said that « all regions of Ukraine, except the Kherson region, are supplied with electricity. Currently, electricity generation in the country covers 70% of consumption needs. »

He said it was now up to regional power companies not to exceed the limits set by state electricity supplier NPC Ukrenergo and to minimize uneven consumer disconnection.

There is enough power, he said, to evenly distribute the load from forced outages so people can keep lights on for at least five to six hours a day, Shmyhal said.

Shmyhal said the situation required strong air defense and prompt repairs to damaged electrical equipment.

“As far as air defense is concerned, over the past month there has been significant progress, first of all thanks to the provision of modern Western systems,” he said.

Obtaining additional electrical equipment was also a priority, he said.

Shmyhal said that Ukraine’s energy resources are sufficient for the winter months: « We are entering winter with 14 billion cubic meters of gas in our storage facilities and 1.3 million tonnes of coal in warehouses. This resource will be quite sufficient to allow us to get through the winter. steady. »

He also said the Economy Ministry did not foresee any shortages of fuel and diesel, which would be needed for the hundreds of imported generators.