Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy plants surge as country faces freezing days and nightspublished at 15:05 GMT
15:05 GMT
Thomas Copeland
BBC Verify Live journalist
We’ve been reporting today on fresh attacks described by one of Ukraine’s power companies as Russia’s “most powerful blow” against the country’s energy sector so far this year.
Last Sunday marked the end of the so-called “energy truce” US President Donald Trump requested from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Moscow paused strikes on Ukrainian cities over three days at the end of last week as Ukraine continues to face the coldest winter of recent years. Temperatures in parts of the country dropped to -20C last night.
Despite the pause, January’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities far exceeded the monthly average for the full-scale invasion and left millions without power, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled) monitoring group.
“Energy companies say they are working around the clock on repairs, only for them to be undone by overnight strikes on power stations,” says Olha Polishchuk, Acled’s Eastern Europe research manager.
Polishchuk adds that the freezing winter has also had an impact on Russia’s progress on the front line. “The extreme cold, combined with the winter holidays, has disrupted Russian recruitment, preventing any major advances on the battlefield,” she says.
Graphics by Tom Shiel