Ukraine introduced new emergency power outages today in an effort to restore energy infrastructure damaged by Russian airstrikes, which the national energy operator said had caused significant supply shortages, Reuters reported, citing BTA.

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Russia targeted energy facilities across Ukraine in the latest major wave of attacks yesterday at a time of year when electricity consumption usually rises as winter approaches.

"As of 11 a.m. on December 8, due to damage caused by rocket strikes on power plants and the high-voltage transmission grid, the system is experiencing a significant power shortage," Ukrenergo, the operator of the electricity supply system, said. 

According to the Ukrainian operator, the situation is complicated by atmospheric conditions, with the western regions facing frost, rain, snow and strong winds.

This is causing icing of cables, but the situation is most difficult in the eastern areas, where the fighting is fiercest.

"There is a shortage of electricity in all regions - up to a third of what is needed," said Oleksandr Starukh, governor of Zaporozhye region in southeastern Ukraine.

Yesterday's attacks began as emergency power outages were due to end after earlier damage was repaired.

DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power producer, said there were now power outages in the capital Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, in southern Odesa Oblast in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in central Ukraine.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February, has stepped up attacks on energy facilities in recent weeks, arguing that striking vital infrastructure is militarily justified.

According to Ukraine, attacks aimed at causing suffering to the civilian population are a war crime.

Nearly a million and a half Ukrainians are without electricity after the Russian strikes

Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has warned of an "apocalypse" scenario in the capital this winter if Russian airstrikes on infrastructure continue.

Klitschko told Reuters that people did not need to evacuate now, but they should be prepared to do so.

Power outages became more frequent and the government urged the population to conserve electricity by reducing the use of household appliances such as ovens, washing machines, electric kettles and irons.

In the event of a complete blackout, mobile communications, television and radio will work for at least another three days, said Yury Shtigol, head of Ukraine's state service for special communications and information protection.

More than half of the areas in Donetsk were shelled today by the Ukrainian armed forces, reported the representation of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic in the Joint Center for the Control and Coordination of War Crimes of Ukraine, TASS reported.

The representative's message on its television channel said that as a result of the shelling of the Ukrainian armed forces, five districts of the city of Donetsk were partially without electricity: Petrovsky, Kievsky, Kirovsky, Kuibyshevsky and Voroshilovsky.

There are a total of nine districts in Donetsk, TASS clarifies.

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