Key task to repair energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks: Ukrainian president

By Davit Kachkachishvili

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Friday that repair works to energy infrastructures damaged by Russian attacks earlier this week is one of the key tasks.

Zelenskyy said in a video on Telegram that 6 million electricity customers in Ukraine were provided with electricity thanks to repair works after Russian strikes.

Around 12 million customers were left without electricity because of Russian missile attacks Wednesday on critical energy infrastructures in various regions of Ukraine, he noted.

He said as power outages continue in many areas, namely the national capital of Kyiv and in the regions of Odesa, Lviv, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk, efforts are being made to solve the problems as soon as possible.

Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians to be careful about consuming electricity. "If you don’t have a power outage, it doesn’t mean the problem is over."

-Criticism toward Kyiv municipality

The Ukrainian president expressed criticism toward the Kyiv municipality about complaints from residents regarding problems with the "Points of Invincibility" which have been deployed across the country to provide basic services during power outages inflicted by Russian strikes.

"I expect quality work from the mayor’s office. No one will forgive anyone for desecrating the Kyiv Points of Invincibility. Please be more serious," he said, adding that as of Friday evening, around 600,00 customers have been disconnected from the grid in Kyiv.

"Many Kyiv residents were without electricity for more than 20 or even 30 hours."

Zelenskyy visited Vyshgorod outside Kyiv, "where a Russian missile destroyed an apartment building and damaged the houses of an entire residential neighborhood."

At least six people were killed with dozens injured, according to Zelenskyy.