Russia wants blackout in Ukraine as winter comes — Zelenskyy

Russia is stepping up its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in a bid to cut electricity and heating in the country as winter approaches, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.

His remarks come as Moscow intensifies its attacks on civilian targets in the capital, Kyiv, and elsewhere, with key observers saying its objective is to render the country virtually unlivable.

In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy said Russia had just carried out one of its biggest attacks on Ukraine 's energy sector since it began its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

"More than 15 critical power generation and transmission facilities were targeted across different regions of Ukraine," he wrote.

"Restoration work is ongoing, with all necessary services and all available resources of Ukrainian energy companies involved," he added.

Zelenskyy said that Russia was planning to leave Ukrainian citizens in the cold this winter.

"Russia is trying to cause a blackout in Ukraine — right before winter. Russia is trying to leave millions of our people without electricity and heating," he wrote, calling on allies to put pressure on Moscow to stop this happening.

He said Russia had "expanded ‌its campaign ​against the energy system" and was trying "to stretch ⁠Ukraine's ​reserves ​and repair ​capacity as ‌thinly as possible." ​