Work proceeds on Ukraine’s power supply, particularly Odesa, says Zelenskiy

(Reuters) – Emergency crews were working to ease power shortages in many parts of Ukraine after Russian attacks, particularly the Black Sea port of Odesa, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.

“At this time, it has become possible to partially restore supplies in Odesa and other cities and districts in the region,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

“We are doing everything to reach the maximum number possible in the conditions that developed after the Russian strikes.”

Russian forces used Iranian-made drones to hit two energy plants in Odesa on Saturday, knocking out power to about 1.5 million customers – virtually all non-critical infrastructure in and around the port.

Zelenskiy said Odesa was “among the regions with the most frequent power outages”.

Other areas experiencing “very difficult” conditions with power supplies included the capital Kyiv and Kyiv region and four regions in western Ukraine and Dnipropetrovsk region in the centre of the country.

The work on restoring electricity for the general population was constant, Zelenskiy said.

Since October, Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with large waves of missile and drone strikes.

Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls its “special military operation” to remove what it says is a potential threat against its own security. Ukraine and its allies accuse Russia of an unprovoked war to grab territory from its pro-Western neighbour.