Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that emergency services are working to mitigate the spread of the virus Blackout In many regions of Ukraine after the Russian attacks, especially the Black Sea port of Odessa, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that the snow prevents the transfer of military equipment to resume an effective counterattack.
“At this moment it has become possible to partially restore supplies to Odessa and other cities and parts of the region,” Zelensky said in his video speech overnight.
“We are doing our best to reach as many people as possible in the circumstances that have arisen after the Russian attacks,” he added.
Russian forces used Iranian-made drones to bomb two power plants in Odessa on Saturday, cutting off power to an estimated 1.5 million people.
Destruction by Russian shelling of a residential building near Odessa
Zelensky said Odessa is “among the regions with the most frequent power outages.”
Additionally, the Ukrainian president said he had a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Sunday and thanked him for the “unprecedented” assistance Washington has provided to Ukraine since the start of the Russian military operation in February. .
“I thanked him for the unprecedented defense and financial assistance the United States provides to Ukraine,” Zelensky said on Telegram, noting that this not only contributes to victory on the battlefield but also supports the stability of the economy of Ukraine.
“We also appreciate the assistance provided by the United States in restoring the energy system in Ukraine,” he added.
For his part, Biden assured Zelensky that Washington is working to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, and renewed Washington’s commitment to support Ukraine, security-wise and economically.
Ukraine’s power grid has been damaged since October by repeated attacks by Russian missiles and drones, sometimes cutting off power to millions of civilians during the winter.
Western powers accuse Tehran of supplying Moscow with drones for use in its military operations in Ukraine.
Last November, Tehran admitted to sending drones to Russia, but said it supplied them before its military operation in Ukraine began.
Moscow already uses hundreds of Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. However, he denies the use of so-called “kamikaze” drones.
