Ukrainians survived this winter thanks to the government’s efforts to secure the country’s energy supply, but the Russian threat to the country’s infrastructure has not been eliminated, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address Wednesday evening.

March 1 marks the end of the winter season in Ukraine, as it is in Russia, although temperatures remain low.

“Winter has come to an end. It was very difficult, and every Ukrainian, without exaggeration, felt the consequences,” Zelensky said. “We managed to guarantee the supply of electricity and heat. Nevertheless, the threat to the power grid remains. And efforts are being made to ensure that it continues to work,” he added.

In recent months, Russian troops have launched rocket attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to demoralize the population.

Human rights groups emphasize that attacks on energy infrastructure have a significant impact on the civilian population, and some argue that they should be classified as “war crimes” and investigated.

Referring to events on the eastern front, where Russian troops advanced towards the strategically important city of Bakhmut, President Zelensky said that Ukrainian security forces keep the situation under control. But he added that residents of areas adjacent to the battlefields are suffering from Russian shelling. “Russia is constantly trying to destroy everything that these people have, and this is not an exaggeration,” he said.

The Ukrainian army is struggling to ensure the safety of residents who are under repeated attacks from Russia, he said, explaining that “every hoisting of our flag will increase the security of our people.”

Source: RES-IPE