“The Russian leadership has given orders to turn the energy grid into a battlefield. The consequences are once again very dangerous for all of us in Europe,” declared President Zelensky in a speech before the Council of the European Union.
By AFP
LUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Europeans on Thursday that Russia was turning his country’s electricity grid into a “battlefield,” driving people to Europe.
“The Russian leadership has given orders to turn the energy grid into a battlefield. The consequences are very dangerous, again, for all of us in Europe”, President Zelensky announced in an intervention before the Council of the European Union, adding that “Russia is causing a new wave of Ukrainians to the EU countries”.
Energy-saving measures are being implemented across Ukraine after Russian missile and drone strikes destroyed more than 30% of the country’s power plants in a week.
Zelensky said the Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities were “aimed at creating as many electricity and heating problems as possible for Ukraine this fall and winter and inciting Ukrainians to go to your countries.”
In response to the attacks, the Ukrainian leader called on European countries to provide Kyiv’s military with sophisticated air defenses and impose more sanctions to limit Moscow’s war-financing capabilities.
He further pointed out that the Ukrainian plan to deploy an international monitoring mission on the Ukraine-Belarus border was “becoming more relevant every day,” as the Ukrainian military warned of a growing Russian offensive threat from Belarusian territory.
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