KYIV: Ukraine on Thursday told residents to save energy after a power plant near the front line was hit by shelling, in the first such warning this winter.
Officials had warned for months Moscow 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.
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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.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said in a social media post that lower temperatures, emergency repairs and a lack of solar power had all contributed to shortages.
“The government and power industry are now calling on everyone to reduce electricity consumption. Especially from 9 am to 7 pm,” he said.
Kyiv has been asking Western countries to bolster its air defence systems in the event Russia restarts systematic strikes on energy facilities, as it did last winter.
It has also appealed to neighbouring EU countries to provide electricity exports, after announcing in November that it could not produce enough power to meet demand for heating.
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