KYIV, Ukraine —
Ukrainian authorities endeavored Saturday to restore electricity and water services after recent Russian military strikes that vastly damaged infrastructure, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that millions have seen their power restored since blackouts swept the war-battered country days earlier.
Skirmishes continued in the east, and residents from the southern city of Kherson headed north and west to flee after punishing and deadly bombardments by Russian forces in recent days. The strikes have been seen as attempts at Russian retribution against Ukraine’s beleaguered but defiant people after Ukrainian troops liberated the city more than two weeks ago, following a Russian occupation that lasted many months.
“The key task of today, as well as other days of this week, is energy,” Zelensky said in his nightly televised address late Friday. “From Wednesday to today we have managed to halve the number of people whose electricity is cut off, to stabilize the system.”
He said, however, that blackouts continued in most regions, including Kyiv, the capital.
“In total, more than 6 million subscribers are affected. On Wednesday evening, almost 12 million subscribers were cut off,” Zelensky added.
He allowed himself a rare show of pique about how Kyiv authorities were faring, alluding to “many complaints” with the rollouts of “points of invincibility” — public centers where residents can stock up on food, water, battery power and other essentials — in the capital.
“Please pay attention: Kyiv residents need more protection,” he said. “As of this evening, 600,000 subscribers have been disconnected in the city. Many Kyiv residents were without electricity for more than 20 or even 30 hours.
“I expect quality work from the mayor’s office,” he said, alluding to the administration of Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The president and the mayor have sporadically sparred since Zelensky took office in 2019. Zelensky has accused Klitschko and officials around him of corruption, while Klitschko contends that the president’s office has put him under political pressure.
Early Saturday, the Kyiv municipal administration said water connections had been restored throughout the city, but that about 130,000 residents remained without electricity.
The scramble to restore power came as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo met Saturday with Zelensky in Kyiv. De Croo tweeted that Belgium was “releasing new humanitarian and military aid,” but gave no immediate details.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians were marking the 90th anniversary of the start of the “Holodomor,” or Great Famine, which killed more than 3 million people over two years as the Soviet government under Josef Stalin confiscated food and grain supplies and deported many Ukrainians.