Snowfall exacerbates the suffering of millions of Ukrainians and Zelensky blames Russia

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Meteorologists predicted heavy snowfall in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, starting on Sunday, with temperatures dropping below freezing, while millions of people still live in the city and surrounding areas without electricity and heating.

Okranergo, the electricity grid operator, said on Saturday that electricity producers were able to cover only three-quarters of consumption needs, necessitating the imposition of restrictions and power outages across the country.

Sergei Kovalenko, chief operating officer of Yasno, which supplies Kyiv with energy, said the situation in the city had improved but was still very difficult.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 6 million people were without power on Friday after the latest Russian bombing last week, which inflicted the worst damage yet on Ukraine and left millions without electricity, water or heat.

Russia says it doesn’t target the civilian population, while the Kremlin has said Moscow’s attacks on energy infrastructure are a result of Kyiv’s unwillingness to negotiate.

On Friday, Zelensky criticized the Kyiv mayor for what he described as his poor performance in setting up emergency shelters to help those without electricity and heat after the Russian attacks, in a rare public spat among Ukraine’s leaders.

Okranergo said power outages would continue and urged electricity use within limits.

“We’d like to remind you that every Ukrainian who has electricity back in his house can help bring it back to others faster, simply by saving electricity,” she said in a statement on Telegram.

Snow is expected to continue in Kyiv, which had a population of 2.8 million before the war, until the middle of the week, while temperatures are expected to remain below freezing.

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