Deep Freeze and Blizzards in Ukraine cause power outages

Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported that on January 9, 1,025 residential areas were without electricity due to severe winter weather conditions, including cold temperatures, snowfall, and high winds. These conditions also caused Russia to halt its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine temporarily.

The text describes power outages in several regions of Ukraine. The term "settlements" refers to small towns or villages. The affected areas include Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Chernihiv, and Chernivtsiy. 

The number of consumers without electricity is specified for each region. This situation likely refers to a disruption in the electrical supply, resulting in a loss of power for thousands of residents in these areas.

The forecast from Ukraine's hydrometeorological center predicts ongoing adverse weather conditions, with further snowfall expected in the southern and southeastern regions. 

Additionally, extremely low temperatures of minus 21 degrees Celsius at night and minus 12 degrees Celsius during the day are anticipated.

On January 9, Russia did not carry out any drone strikes on Ukraine's territory for the first time in weeks. Natalia Humenyuk, the spokeswoman of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, stated that this change was partly due to the terrible weather. 

She mentioned that while there were no drone attacks, the enemy continued to carry out artillery bombardment, with the southern cities of Kherson and Antonivka being heavily affected.

He pause in Russian air strikes follows a particularly intense series of missile and drone attacks on January 8, which resulted in five deaths and numerous injuries in various parts of Ukraine.

Additionally, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border, reported that three people were injured in Belgorod due to shelling from Ukraine. 

Gladkov also stated on his Telegram channel that Russian air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed 10 "air targets" on the night of January 8.

The statement mentions that there was no immediate confirmation from Ukraine in response to the Kremlin's announcement about the Russian military taking action to address increased shelling from Ukraine towards Belgorod. 

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the Russian army will do everything possible to minimize and ultimately eliminate the danger posed by the shelling. 

He alleged that the Ukrainian military used weapons provided by European countries to attack civilian areas in the central urban area with a population of around 340,000.

The Russian government has attempted to uphold a sense of regularity within the country. Still, the recent attacks on Belgorod have made the conflict in Ukraine feel more immediate for Russians.

Ref-AFP