War in Ukraine, live: new Russian strikes on electricity infrastructure; 1.5 million Ukrainians without electricity – Le Monde

New bombings cause power cuts in several Ukrainian regions Ukrainian energy infrastructure was once again the target on Saturday of Russian bombings in western Ukraine, the operator Ukrenergo announced. The electricity transmission system operator added on Telegram that “the extent of the damage [était] comparable or could exceed the consequences of the attack of October 10-12” and that it was “now forced to apply restrictions on the energy supply in the regions of kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipro, Zaporizhia and Kirovohrad”. Ukrainians have already voluntarily reduced their electricity consumption by 5% to 20% on average on certain days and in certain regions, Ukrenergo director Volodymyr Koudrytsky told Agence France-Presse in a written statement. . “We are grateful to the people who have reduced consumption at home and to the companies who are doing the same,” he added. Local authorities also said strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Odessa, Kirovohrad and Lutsk regions. Other Ukrainian regions have reported electricity problems. These are “new rocket attacks by terrorists who are fighting against civilian infrastructure and the population”, said the director of cabinet of the Ukrainian presidency, Andriy Yermak, on Telegram. Kyiv Regional Governor Oleksiy Kuleba announced on Telegram that “temporary stabilization cuts [avaient] launched by force, according to the established schedule”, in the Kyiv region. He added: The Russians are deliberately hitting energy infrastructure. (…) We have to save electricity. It is our responsibility and our contribution to victory over the enemy. Electricity and water were also cut in some areas of Volhynia Oblast, according to its governor. The town of Khmelnytsky was without electricity and city authorities called on residents to prepare for water cuts. The governor of Rivne oblast, Vitali Koval, clarified on Telegram that attacks had targeted the “energy infrastructure” of the region in the morning, damaging electricity substations. Power cuts were also reported in the Odessa region (South-West), following “two missile strikes on the energy infrastructure” of the region, the governor of the oblast said on Telegram. , Maksym Marchenko. The governor of the Kirovohrad oblast (Centre) has, for his part, asked local businesses and residents to reduce their electricity consumption due to strikes on “important” energy infrastructure.