Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared a state of emergency in the country's energy sector, as ongoing Russian strikes continue to leave thousands of residents without power. Zelenskiy acted as emergency crews proceeded with round-the-clock efforts to restore power and heating supplies thrown into disarray, particularly in Kyiv, by a Russian attack last week. Repairs to thousands of apartment blocks have been compounded by frigid weather, with night-time temperatures dipping close to -20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit). "The consequences of Russian strikes and deteriorating weather conditions are severe," Zelenskiy wrote in English on the X social media platform. "Overall, a state of emergency will be declared for Ukraine's energy sector ... Many issues require urgent resolution." The declaration comes as Zelensky's US counterpart Donald Trump said he was holding up efforts to secure a peace deal to end nearly four years of war with Russia. He told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that Ukraine "is less ready to make a deal" than Russian president Vladimir Putin. When asked why peace talks have not yet resolved the conflict, Trump responded: "Zelensky". The two leaders are both expected to attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland next week, although Trump suggested no formal plans were arranged for them to meet. In recent weeks, Russian attacks on Kyiv have left thousands of homes without regular power, heating or running water. After one particularly heavy night of missile and drone attacks last week, 70% of the capital was left without power for several hours. Following a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Zelensky said a round-the-clock task force would be set up to fix damage caused by Russian strikes and worsening weather conditions. He said the new measures would include procuring vital energy equipment and resources from abroad to replace damaged installations. Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have not been limited to the capital. Last week, Ukrainian officials said that more than one million people in south-eastern Ukraine spent hours without heating and water supplies as a result of Russian air strikes. DTEK, Ukraine's biggest private energy provider, is living in permanent crisis mode because of Russian attacks on the grid, its CEO, Maxim Timchenko, told the BBC last month. As the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches, Timchenko said Russia had repeatedly targeted DTEK's energy grid with "waves of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles" and the company had found it difficult to cope. He added that the intensity of strikes had been so frequent "we just don't have time to recover". — Agencies
