Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Monday for institutions and citizens around the world to turn off the lights on December 21, as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, which is fighting against the Russian invasion.
The campaign, dubbed #LightUpUkraine, calls for turning off the lights in support of Ukraine, which has been hit by blackouts caused by Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure.
The initiative is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in Ukraine (6:00 p.m. in Lisbon) on Wednesday. In the midst of the Christmas season, monuments from around the world, such as the Rockefeller Center in New York, Trafalgar Square in London or the City Hall in Paris, are expected to join the initiative, according to a statement released by the Ukrainian government. quoted by the Efe agency. .
This campaign also aims to raise at least ten million dollars (about 9.4 million euros) to finance the purchase of 1,000 electrical generators, which allow the operation of Ukrainian hospitals.
In a call for solidarity, Zelensky stressed that when blackouts plunge people into darkness for hours, it means that the enemy not only wants to take away light, but “everything that is part of life” of citizens.
“This is how we now live in Ukraine, defending ourselves against an enemy that came to destroy us,” he said.
“We need your support. For all the doctors forced to operate in the dark. For all the fathers and mothers who do their best to give their families what they need, even in the dark. For all the Ukrainians who believe in freedom despite the darkness, said Zelensky.
The city of kyiv and ten regions of Ukraine were affected today by power cuts, after a new wave of attacks with ‘drones’ by Russian forces, the Ukrainian operator Ukrenergo announced.
In recent months, Moscow has been attacking electrical infrastructure, leaving millions of Ukrainians without power, a situation that raises concerns about winter.
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine caused at least 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 7.8 million refugees to European countries, for which the United Nations classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe. since World War II (1939-1945). ).
Right now, 17.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
The UN presented as confirmed since the beginning of the war 6,755 dead civilians and 10,607 wounded, stressing that these figures are far below the real ones.
Source: TSF
