Kuleba: Russia's attacks damage 50% of Ukraine's energy system

Russian attacks have damaged half of Ukraine's energy system, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Foreign Policy in an interview published on May 1.

Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country on March 22, March 29, April 11, and April 27.

"I will dare to say that if another country suffered this scale of energy destruction, it would look much, much worse than Ukraine. We hold on because we have learned a lot," Kuleba told Foreign Policy.

"Half our energy system is damaged and we still have to run the country, run the war effort, and rally the world’s support," Kuleba said.

The interview also touched on the prospect of Donald Trump winning the presidency in November.

Trump has said he would not commit to providing Ukraine with defense assistance if he won the 2024 election and his sway over the Republican Party contributed to the six-month deadlock of the $61 billion in U.S. aid for Ukraine.

"I am a Ukrainian who goes to bed in the evening not knowing whether a Russian missile will hit my house at night," and so "the last thing I worry about is the outcome of elections in other countries," Kuleba said.

Kuleba added that this is "not because I disrespect or ignore the political developments," but because "life taught us to be ready for any scenario, to survive and prevail under any circumstances."

Kuleba also addressed the disagreement among Republicans regarding the level of support Ukraine should receive.

"People come up with some of the most incredible arguments to explain why Ukraine does not deserve to be supported. But the very simple fact is, if you lose in Ukraine, it will have a domino effect and you will start losing everywhere," Kuleba said.

DTEK: Russia has attacked Ukraine’s thermal power plants nearly 180 times

Moscow has recently intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, launching large-scale attacks on energy facilities across the country on March 22, March 29, April 11, and April 27.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova