According to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, Ukrainian households may have an electricity supply on New Year's Eve if Russian forces don’t launch another mass attack on the country’s energy infrastructure before that. However, “it’s hard to plan anything,” he said.
"I think they (Russian forces) haven’t given up on bombarding our energy system. They are tied to certain dates, and perhaps the New Year is one of those dates when they will try to do as much damage as possible to our power system,” Halushchenko said.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal earlier said that “Russian terrorists will do everything to leave Ukrainians without electricity before the New Year.”
“It is important for them that Christmas and New Year in Ukraine pass in darkness. Therefore, we must prepare for new attacks (on energy infrastructure facilities),” Shmyhal said on Dec. 21.
Russia has repeatedly attacked critical infrastructure across Ukraine since early October, killing dozens of people and causing mass power outages across the country.
Moscow has admitted that Ukraine’s energy system is one of its primary targets. According to the Geneva Convention, attacking vital public infrastructure constitutes a war crime.
(Updated: )
