LIVE – Ukraine limits its energy consumption amid destroyed infrastructure

Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Wednesday night that Ukrainian forces shot down 21 Iranian drones on Wednesday, ten of which were headed towards Kyiv.

“Unfortunately, there were also strikes and more damage to critical infrastructure,” he lamented.

The Ukrainian president claimed that his army had destroyed 233 of these drones in a month.

Russia denies using Iranian-made drones.

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of planning a “mass deportation” of people from newly annexed territories, where Vladimir Putin has declared martial law.

In southern Ukraine, the Russian administration of the Kherson region said on Wednesday that civilian evacuations had begun. He plans to move “50,000 to 60,000” in a few days to the other bank of the Dnieper.

The city of Kherson, occupied since the spring, will also be evacuated due to advancing Ukrainian troops, said the head of the pro-Russian municipal authorities, Vladimir Saldo.

The secretary of the National Defense and Security Council of Ukraine denounced what he considers “the preparation of the mass deportation of the Ukrainian population” to Russia “in order to change the ethnic composition of the occupied territories.”

Ukraine is preparing on Thursday to restrict its energy consumption to cope with the destruction of its infrastructure by the Russian military as winter approaches.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to restrict their electricity consumption from Thursday morning. A call broadcast by the mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klichko, who asked his constituents to refrain from turning on microwave ovens, air conditioners, electric kettles or even electric heaters between 07:00 and 23:00 local time (from 8 :00 to midnight, French time).

The Ukrainian presidency had earlier announced “restrictions on electricity supply” throughout Ukraine on Thursday and the creation of mobile electricity supply points for critical infrastructure.