Millions of Ukrainians will spend Christmas Eve no electricity and sub-zero temperatures after another massive Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Russian attacks against the energy system have caused damage to a power plant in Kharkiv (northeast) as well as gas infrastructure, crucial for heating homes in times of sub-zero temperatures.
“(Russia’s) main objective is to destroy the integrity of the energy system before the New Year by dividing it along the Dnieper River and also leaving the regions of Odessa, Sumi, Cherníguiv and Kharkiv isolated,” he noted on his social networks. Volodymyr Omelchenkoenergy expert at the Razumkov Study Center.
“If there is no electricity at home, we will have Christmas Eve dinner by candlelight”he said to Efe a man who walked this Wednesday through the center of Lviv, in western Ukraine, speaking loudly to make himself heard amid the hum of portable generators that fill the streets.
Parties with blackouts
Following Tuesday’s Russian attacks, which used 650 long-range drones and 38 missiles, three nuclear power plants were forced to reduce electricity production to be able to address the damage to the network, which also limited the ability to transfer the energy produced and imported to different parts of the country.
An electric generator in the middle of the street in the city of Odessa.
Reuters
Consequently, Lviv has been one of the cities where drastic power cuts have been implemented, with residents forced to spend up to 10 hours a day without power and with planned interruptions introduced alternately by districts to divide the available electricity equally between households.
This circumstance did not stop the preparations for one of the biggest festivities in the predominantly Christian country and many residents of Lviv were busy making traditional sweets and other dishes for Christmas Eve dinner, lighting themselves with battery-powered lamps.
Several hundred visitors came to witness the installation of the traditional Ukrainian symbol of Christmas, the ‘diduj’, in the Plaza of Angels, next to the Garrison Church, where every day the soldiers who fell in the war receive their final farewell.
Several choirs, joined by local spectators and those from other cities, sang Christmas carols next to the ‘diduj’, a four-meter-high decorated sheaf of wheat.
“Today with the children we are going to have a Christmas Eve dinner with 12 traditional dishes”count to Efe Lesia Kulchitska, a singer from the folk music group ‘Lemkovina’.
“It will not be as abundant as before, because times are difficult for everyone and we have spent a lot of money supporting our army,” he admitted.
A woman walks with a flashlight through the streets of kyiv, completely dark.
Reuters
Kulchitska is very worried about her husband, Herman, who has been fighting as a volunteer since the beginning of the Russian invasion almost four years ago, but believes that maintaining Christmas traditions, despite power outages, separation from loved ones and the losses suffered by many families will only strengthen the resolve of Ukrainians.
“A time of hope”
The blackouts and attacks against the railway network did not deter Nataliaa 54-year-old tourist who came from Vinitsia to Lviv to fulfill her dream of spending Christmas in this city famous for its large number of churches.
“Christmas is about the hope that everything will soon be better.”. That there will be peace and all people will have health and joy and will be with God,” he maintains.
Natalia planned to attend masses in Lviv before returning to her hometown, where the power outages were scheduled to last for half the day this Wednesday.
Although the hum of generators accompanied the sound of Christmas carols, the situation in Lviv is better than that of many regions near the front or the border with Russia.
The effects of emergency repairs will take days or weeks to be felt, meaning Many Ukrainians will spend up to 16 hours a day without electricity in the coming periodaccording to energy experts.