By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of having a number of “points of invincibility” sufficient in providing a safe haven for people in emergency situations in a video address Wednesday.
“In all regions, it is crucial to have a number of 'Points of Invincibility' sufficient for any emergency situation, whether related to the weather or security,” Zelenskyy said following visits to Ukraine’s southern regions of Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson amid difficult winter conditions in the country.
"Points of invincibility" are aid centers launched by the Ukrainian government in November 2022 to provide basic services during power outages inflicted by Russian strikes.
Speaking about his visit to Odesa, Zelenskyy said he held a meeting with military officials on air defenses for the city, its ports and the region as a whole.
He said he also held talks with the heads of regions affected by severe weather in the country including Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, Poltava and Kyiv as well as the country’s interior, energy and infrastructure ministers.
“I instructed them to increase the number of repair crews and equipment to promptly restore electricity supply to people. If necessary, State Emergency Service personnel and power engineers from other regions that have not experienced such problems with the weather will be brought in,” he said.
Zelenskyy also said that regional authorities are ready to help Odesa with everything it needs to repair the city’s boiler facility, which he said was damaged due to the bad weather.
Regarding his visit to Mykolaiv, Zelenskyy said he met with Danish officials working on the regional capital’s restoration and spoke with students from three regional universities.
While in Kherson, he said he held talks with local officials who presented the results of the construction of shelters and plans that are yet to be implemented.
“I held a very substantive and detailed meeting with the military concerning operations specifically in the south. We discussed what is necessary, agreed on goals, and have a clear vision of priorities in communication with partners regarding supplies,” he added.
Since Sunday, a powerful storm has hit Ukraine which Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said resulted in the deaths of 12 people and cut access to electricity in 523 settlements across 11 regions.